When a parent shows interest in a child’s learning, they are more likely to do well at school. Getting involved in your child’s education, even in the simplest way, depicts that you care about your child’s learning.

As a parent, sending your kids off to school is a sigh of relief. However, your role in a child’s education is beyond that. As per National PTA, parental involvement in a child’s education leads to success and promotes confidence.

Why must parents be involved in a child’s education?

Parental support or involvement benefits kids of all ages at a developmental level that exceeds academics. Let’s discuss how parental involvement in a child’s education has positive outcomes.

Kids develop better social skills and depict improved behavior when parents are involved in school. Per the study published by the center for public education, parents involved in a child’s education demonstrate higher achievement in school despite racial or ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and the parent’s level of education.

Besides a student’s success, parental involvement in a child’s education also benefits teachers and parents. It is particularly true if you move to a different city like Boulder, Colorado.

Why Colorado? Because the competition is tough as some of the country’s top schools and colleges battle it out every year to produce students excelling in every subject.

Colorado is also ranked as the 5^th most educated state in the country, so adjusting to a new, competitive environment in an art and nature preschool near Boulder, Colorado might be challenging for a child in terms of interaction with new students and understanding the education system.

At the same time, this is where your involvement as a parent can significantly impact a child’s learning. You can work with teachers to promote better learning methodologies and increase academic performance.

Furthermore, the parent-teacher relationship enables teachers to understand the child better and help them overcome academic challenges.

So, if you want to contribute to your child’s learning, here are a few ways.

1.    Don’t Skip Parent-Teacher Conferences

As established earlier, showing interest in your child’s education enables them to do better academically. Attending back-to-back parent-teacher conferences is a great way to ensure your child isn’t lagging. Moreover, it also offers insight into the child’s teachers and their expectations.

Parent-teacher conferences are held once or twice a year during the academic session. The meetings allow you to discuss strategies with teachers to help your child do their best in class.

Besides that, these conferences are essential for students, as they convey that what goes on in school will also be shared at home, giving them the push they need to do better.

If your child has special needs, additional meetings can be scheduled to discuss the individualized education plan. Remember, as a parent, you can request appointments besides parent-teacher conferences to discuss your child’s progress at any time during the school year.

2.    Maintain your child’s health

Increased absenteeism due to health issues negatively impacts the child’s education. Poor academic performance is one of the significant outcomes. That said, you must maintain your child’s health. That means fueling them up in the morning with a nutritious breakfast.

With breakfast, kids are less likely to be absent, make fewer trips to the nurse, do better in school, and have more energy. Apart from nutrition, keep an eye on the kid’s sleeping patterns. Ensure they get adequate sleep to increase their attention span and promote focus which helps with learning.

Establishing a bedtime routine is essential, especially on school nights. School-aged kids need around 10-12 hours of sleep a night.

However, bedtime difficulties arise at this age, from TV to after-school activities contributing to a lack of sleep. It causes irritability making it difficult for kids to retain their focus in class.

Allow your child to unwind before bedtime and limit distractions like TV, social media access, or video games.

3.    Develop Effective Study Skills

Studying for a test is nothing short of a battle for young children. However, if parents foster good study habits in children, they will be on their way to success.

Learning styles vary from child to child. As a parent, you must determine the preferred style and develop a system that works best for them.

How would you do that? Well, there are a few ways. Since tests matter in maintaining an exceptional academic record, ensure that your child is prepared. Though many might assume that reviewing the content before the test is enough to ace it, that is not how it always works. In addition to that, encourage your child to complete practice tests or use flash cards.

Another effective study habit that could enhance your child’s academic performance is making them study a different subject daily for better long-term retention.

Such practice is far more beneficial than cramming everything in a day. Besides that, to ensure they remain focused and productive throughout the study session, take a 15 minutes break once every hour.

4.    Assist with Homework

Every student dreads homework, whether it’s math or social studies. After a long day at school, every child wants to either play or rest. However, that is not conducive to proper learning or information retention.

One way to make homework more fun is by rewarding them. With a reward, children are more eager to finish their homework.

It would also help to keep distractions to a minimum, which means no TV. Your child might assume that since you are helping them, they’ll have little work to do. But remember, kids won’t learn until and unless they do their own work and learn from their mistakes. Ensure your children do their own work, and you can offer suggestions and guide them.

Most importantly, be supportive, rather than reprimanding them for their mistakes, and instill the confidence to preserve.

5.    Monitor Screen Time

Today, one of the biggest hindrances to a child’s learning is the growing use of technology. Technology might have simplified our lives, but it has also negatively impacted us, specifically young minds. As a parent, you must monitor your child’s screen time.

Excessive time spent playing video games or watching TV programs has a social and emotional impact on a child. It limits their imagination and reduces motivation. As a result, it impacts their academic performance.

Though technology has become as important as participating in recreational activities, finding a balance between screen time and keeping a child focused during their studies is critical. However, if you struggle to maintain that, there are other ways to keep your child engaged during their free time.

Establish reading habits, and ensure they have ample time to do so, as it gets the creative juices flowing and keeps them occupied healthily.

Conclusion

Like teachers, parents also play a huge role in a child’s education. Being a part of their educational journey is one of the most significant contributions you can make to your child’s life. Although few kids might do well independently, some seek guidance.