Live Healthy Live Well

Many parents want the best for their children. This includes school success. Every child has the power to succeed in school and every parent, can help. What parents say and do can help children develop positive attitudes toward school and learning and build confidence in themselves as learners. Showing children that education is valued and useful provides them with powerful models and contributes greatly to their success in school. In addition it is shown that when parents and families are involved in their children’s schools, the children do better and have better feelings about going to school.

The U.S. Department of Health has compiled resources for parents. Here are some suggestions to help your child succeed in school:

•  Encourage Your Child to Read-Helping your child become a reader is the single most important thing that you can do to help the child to succeed in school, and in life. The importance of reading simply can’t be overstated. Reading helps children in all school subjects.

•  Talk with Your Child-Talking and listening play major roles in children’s school success. It’s through hearing parents and family members talk and responding to that talk that young children begin to pick up the language skills they will need if they are to do well. For example, children who haven’t learned to listen carefully often have trouble following directions and paying attention in class.

• Monitor Homework-Have a special place for your child to study. The area should have good lighting and it should be fairly quiet. Provide supplies such as pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper, and a dictionary.

• Set a regular time for homework-Remove distractions. Turn off the TV, cell phones, and discourage your child from making and receiving social telephone calls, and using social media sites during homework time.

• Monitor TV Viewing and Video Game Playing-Limit the time that you let your child watch TV and play video games. Too much television cuts into important activities in a child’s life, such as reading, playing with friends and talking with family members.

•  Helping Your Child with Test-Taking-Talk to your child about testing. It’s helpful for children to understand why schools give tests. Don’t get upset because of a single test score. Many things can influence how your child does on a test.

•  Meet with your child’s teacher as often as possible. Ask the teacher to suggest activities for you and your child to do at home to help prepare for tests and to improve your child’s understanding of schoolwork.

• Make sure that your child attends school regularly. The more effort and energy your child puts into learning, the more likely it is that he will do well on tests.

As our children’s first and most important teacher, it’s important that all parents build and keep strong ties to our children’s schools.

Please visit Ohio State University Extensions Backpack Buddies Fact Sheet at http://ohioline.osu.edu/bb-fact/ for more information,

Resources

Canter, Lee. (1995). What to Do When Your Child Needs to Study: Helping Your Child toMaster Test-taking and Study Skills. Los Angeles: Canter & Associates.

Clark, Rosemary, Hawkins, Donna and Vachon, Beth. (1999). The School-Savvy Parent: 365 Insider Tips to Help You Help Your Child. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

Ramey, Sharon L. and Ramey, Craig T. (1999). Going to School: How to Help Your

Child Succeed: A Handbook for Parents of Children 3 to 8. New York: Goddard Press.

U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Helping Your Child with Homework. Washington, DC. (available online at http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov)

Written by: Kathy Green, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Butler County, green.1405@osu.edu.

Reviewed by:  Michelle Treber, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County, treber.1@osu.edu.