Super Mom Hacks

Want the Best Education For Your Child? 10 Tried-and-True Steps

How Can Parents Support Learning At Home? 10 Proven Ways Parents Can Help Educate A Child:

Most parents want the best for their kids in life. We worry about what they eat, how they spend their free time, and improving school performance. 

But educating a child, or hearing that parents make the best teacher, can be daunting – especially if education isn’t your background. Even asking “how can I help my child succeed in school?” or “how can parents help facilitate a child’s learning?” can be overwhelming.

Life is so busy, and WE are so busy – as parents and as families. Between work, the day-to-day hands-on of parenting (especially in those first few years), our own outside commitments, and our kids’ extracurriculars, it’s no wonder you ask yourself

You know you want what’s best for your child. You just don’t have the time to start from scratch in figuring out what that is! Especially when it comes to ensuring their current and future academic success.

The good news is, there are tried-and-true ways you can help maximize your child’s learning potential. This step-by-step list will get you started.

Want to know how to get the best education for your child? It all starts with YOU; here are the steps to take, from birth onward, to make it happen.

Originally published Aug. 16, 2019; last updated April 2022.

Step-By-Step, How To Help Your Child Succeed In School:

1. Start at birth, if not before

That. Right there. If you want the best education for your child, supporting them in every way, from birth onward, is how you get there. That’s the short and easy version, anyway.

As soon as your baby is born (if not while you’re still pregnant), interact with your child. Talk to them. Sing to them. Carry on a conversation. Read them stories. Ask them questions.

No, of course they can’t respond. But this interaction helps your newborn learn the building blocks for the give-and-take of conversation and human interaction. This is the first thing you can do to set your child up for success in school. (Not to mention, it’s the first thing you can do to lay a foundation for a solid child-parent bond!)

Read to them AT LEAST once a day. Narrate the world around you, what you’re doing at any given moment, and what’s going on:

This kind of interaction with a caregiver will help wire your child’s brain in ways that passively sitting in front of a TV never can.

2. Lead by example to ignite learning potential

Are you curious? Do you enjoy reading? Do you like to visit new places, travel and explore different cultures, or learn more about the world around you?

As parents, we are children’s first teachers. They will learn more in life from the example we set than anything else.

Think about this when you’re enjoying your leisure time as they enjoy theirs:

All of these will send different messages to your child(ren) about what is important in grownup life.

The more you can model lifelong learning for your kids, the more likely they are to have a passion for learning, a curious mind, and a willingness to explore new things. These are all qualities that will serve them well in school. It may mean stepping outside your comfort zone. But if setting your child up for academic success is a top priority for you, it’s worth considering.

3. Find a quality preschool to educate your child

When I was a kid, preschool was optional. Those who went were mostly from dual-earner families who needed childcare.

Those days are long gone.

Regardless of your family’s work hours and childcare needs, be sure that your kiddos attend a quality preschool at least a couple of mornings a week, starting at age two. (Or whatever the rule is in your area; that’s the rule in ours.)

Preschool gives your child the foundation they need, both as learners and as social beings, for future school success in the 21st century. A good preschool should have a curriculum that is play-centered, rather than focused on hard-core academics. Teachers should be qualified professionals with credentials in early childhood education, who are happy working there and love what they do.

While we wanted a school with a play-based program, our top reason for sending the girls to preschool was interacting with other kids their age. This is as important for incoming kindergarteners these days as knowing their letters and numbers. Twenty-first-century employers are looking more and more at “plays well with others” when evaluating job candidates. And those kids who arrive at K with a solid start on this skill will have an edge throughout their lives, both in school and at work.

If you’re concerned about the cost, consider broadening your horizons in your search. Much to our surprise, the best value for the cost in our area was the church-based preschools. Their programs were high-caliber, but cost a fraction of what similar for-profit schools cost.

4. Communicate with teachers to help your child succeed in school

As I’ve written elsewhere, open communication with your child’s teachers is crucial. As the front lines of your child’s learning, they will observe your child’s strengths and “growth areas” day after day. And if they know you’re receptive to feedback – the good AND the bad – they’re more likely to share it with you.

The first step in doing this is just plain showing up. Be there for the back-to-school meet-and-greet, even if it means taking an hour or two off of work to attend. Show up (ideally, both you AND your coparent) for the parent-teacher conferences. Be there for your kids’ concerts, plays, Parent Days at school, and whatever else is happening where you can interact with the teacher in a less formal setting.

This is not about trying to become the teacher’s BFF. This is about establishing a working relationship as two adults who can communicate openly. And you’d be surprised how receptive teachers are to parents who demonstrate they’re interested in their child’s learning, just by showing up. (More than one of my girls’ teachers has commented on how happy they are when we do this, and how they wish ALL parents would make the time.)

Besides showing up, be in contact via their preferred method whenever you have concerns about your child, or want to touch base:

Using their preferred system is also a great way to ask the teacher how you can help THEM in their job. For example, do they need classroom donations of tissues or hand sanitizer?

It’s much better to establish a good relationship with your child’s teacher early on, versus trying to build these bridges only when your child has problems. Once those lines of communication are open, your child’s teacher will be more likely to reach out if  your child is struggling – because they know you care, and want to be a partner in the education process.

5. Get involved in your child’s school

Just as it’s important to establish open communication early, it’s important to be involved in your child’s school, however you can.

For many working parents, this might mean that you join the PTA. If your work schedule permits, you might consider volunteering as homeroom parent. Or become a monthly or weekly classroom volunteer.

The benefits of volunteering are invaluable. Personally, I can’t attend evening meetings because of family conflicts. So I volunteer once a week instead. You get to see so many things this way, from what skills your child’s class is working on, to who their friends are. And the teachers are super-grateful for the help.

Plus you can observe for yourself how your child is progressing, where they struggle, and how they compare with their peers and grade standards. This can be a springboard for more conversations with your child’s teacher about their strengths, growth areas, and how you can help at home.

One other added benefit of volunteering is that you’ll get to know a different side of your kids’ peers. For example: now that the girls are older, I often work with kids who are struggling (and DON’T have much parental support at home) in the early-morning “Homework Club.”

Last year, I got to work with two of the class clowns/”troublemakers” in one daughter’s homeroom. One of them, “Mighty,” struck me as a quiet kid, adrift and grasping for a lifeline. He clearly thrived under the one-on-one help he got in Homework Club. A few times my daughter suggested that Mighty was one of the “bad” kids in her classroom – disruptive, homework always incomplete, etc. I was able to share a different side of someone who lacked home support with her, and help her learn some empathy in the process.

6. Help your child succeed in homework

Speaking of a lack of parental support with homework – yes, this is also crucial.

What does supporting your child’s homework efforts look like?

Well, for starters, it does NOT mean doing their homework for them.

Instead, think about what they need to do their homework successfully, and make sure you supply the appropriate environment. Some of those needs might include

RELATED POST: How to Make a Homework Station On A Budget

7. Consider tutoring if warranted

If your child needs extra help in a particular subject or to help them prepare for a test, tutoring can give them that extra edge. And tutoring doesn’t have to break the bank, either.

Sure, there are plenty of private tutoring firms and “skills-help” companies out there that can help. If your child needs serious long-term help and you can afford these options, go for it (after doing your due diligence to find the right balance between quality and cost).

But there are plenty of other options that might work just as well.

8. If needed, seek extra support at school

If your child is struggling in school, it’s important to try to figure out why – and then get them the extra help they need. This means being your child’s advocate, as loudly and for as long as it takes, until you all get to the bottom of what is going on.

And while your first thought might be to wonder if your child has a learning difference, that may not be the actual cause of their challenges. Talk to both your child and their teacher(s) about what’s going on, and be sure to rule out other medical conditions:

Until and unless you know what’s really going on, you won’t know what help they need. Whether it’s requesting an IEP or Section 504 plan for your child, arranging an intervention from the school counselor, or just having your child sit closer to the blackboard until their new glasses arrive, work with your school and teachers to get your kid what they need.

9. Consider the benefits of independent and non-traditional schools

It’s also worth keeping in mind throughout your child’s education that the local public school is not the only option, and may not even be the best option for your child’s needs.

With any luck, you researched school districts when choosing your current home. But even the best public school districts may not be equally strong across all schools within the district, or for every student’s unique learning needs.

If this is the case, it’s time to think outside the box and explore other options. You need to find a school that’s the best academic environment for your child, one that will help to nurture them in the ways that you want. Many have excellent academics and low student:teacher ratios compared to nearby public schools. And while price tags can be steep, these schools generally offer financial aid to help offset tuition.

Some things to consider when comparing your child’s schooling options:

10. Keep kids learning outside of school

And even if you don’t homeschool, your home and family environment should still be places of learning for your child. There are so many ways you can nurture your child’s love of learning outside the traditional classroom:

None of these is a one-stop “fix” for helping your child maximize their learning potential. And yes, all of them require some work on your part, parents.

But when your child’s learning and future potential are at stake, putting in the time and effort to help your child succeed in school is the best investment you can make in your child’s future.

 

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