As parents, we take it upon ourselves to make sure our children perform well in school and be the best versions of themselves that they can be. It’s no surprise that being actively involved in your child’s education is proven to improve their academic performance. However, this can be more challenging than it seems. Caspian is now in Year 2 and has a lot more on his plate already. We have joined forces with a senior school in Northwood to share how you can be more involved in your child’s education. Here are their top tips to build a positive attitude towards learning.
HOW PARENTS CAN SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN’S LEARNING
1.Talk about school together
Start by taking an interest in how your child is doing at school. It sounds obvious and probably something most of us do. Or at least start out doing. Asking your child questions about what they enjoy, find difficult and about their friends can all help them at school. It allows you to suggest solutions and help them to overcome the barriers stopping them from achieving more. This can be done together or with a teacher.
- Supporting your child’s learning through praise
Again, it might sound obvious but the easiest way to reinforce a positive relationship with education is to provide encouragement by celebrating achievements. No matter how big or small, this can hugely increase a child’s confidence and create enjoyment from learning. A focus on the positives can ensure they take that outlook with them through life.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN ENGAGING WITH YOUR CHILD
- Avoid criticism
Criticising on the other hand or using language to suggest that something was wrong can make a child feel like a failure and create negative associations to schoolwork. Instead, when helping with homework give feedback such as “not quite” or “that didn’t seem to work”. This will encourage your child to think about how they could do better in future. Also, talk to them about your own mistake emphasizing that it’s only human and we all do it.
- Read and write together
Some of our earliest memories might have been being put to bed by our mom or dad with a lovely bedtime story. Not only is this a treat before bed but it helps foster a love for reading from an early age. It also helps improve vital literacy skills. Find out what your child enjoys reading in class and take it in turns to read.
Writing together by incorporating fun methods can also help improve your child’s literacy skills leaps and bounds. Activities such as creating a grocery list or writing the end of a story can all help nurture this skill.
- Avoid putting them under pressure
Being a parent can be a frustrating job at times. There is no full proved guide. You might be eager to make everyone know just how talented your child is. Yet, putting pressure or setting your expectations too high can negatively affect your child’s performance at school. For this reason, we advise letting children develop at their own pace.