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Encouraging our Children to Succeed

Think about a time that you received encouragement from someone else.  How did it make you feel?  Did the task seem easier to accomplish after you received encouragement?  Our children are faced with new learning experiences every day.  You can help make their day less stressful through providing encouragement.  Giving your children encouragement can help them to be excited about school and to develop positive attitudes about learning.  Some of those positive attitudes include:

·         Self-confidence: I can do it.

·         Curiosity: How? Why?

·         Self-starting: Let’s try it this way.

·         Goals: I will finish this tonight.

·         Persistence: Keeps on going, even when things are difficult.

As parents, you can help your children develop this positive attitude by doing the following:

·         Give them opportunities to feel successful.

·         Praise them.

·         Answer their questions.

·         Show them how to do things.

·         Help them break big jobs down into small jobs.

·         Give them time to try on their own.  Don’t do the work for them.

·         Help them when asked.

·         Talk with them rather than at them (Say, “What do you think might work?” instead of Here is how you do this.”)

·         Help them to practice the skills they have learned through activities and play.

Developing a positive learning attitude is the first step to building life -long learners.  However, there is still one REALLY BIG hurdle to cross….what about homework! Ugh!  How can you encourage your child to complete their homework assignments each night?  A few suggestions are:

·         Set a regular time for doing homework.

·         Have a central place where supplies for schoolwork can be found (scissors, glue, pencils, pens, paper, reference books, etc.).

·         Check the child’s homework when it is finished.

·         Be available to help with homework if needed.

·         Go over their assignments and help them to decide what is most important and in what order they should do their work.

·         During homework time, turn off the TV or other things that might make it hard to concentrate (however, some children learn best when other things are happening, such as having the radio on)

·         “Study” at the same time that your children are studying.  For example, parents could read the newspaper or a book, or do homework from classes they are taking.

·         Let children take a homework break.  A few minutes doing something else can help to clear the mind and make studying easier.

·         Let them have a snack if children come home from school hungry, or relax or play outside for a few minutes before they begin their homework.  Often children feel “brain dead” after a day of school and need some time to relax or play before they begin doing homework.

·         Give children a treat such as going for ice cream, having a family game night, or renting a movie on Friday if homework was completed on time all week.

·         Help children to put their homework where they can find it to turn it in the next day at school.

 Tips to Help Students Gain Academic Success

Source: Popkin, M. H., Youngs, B. B. & Healy, J. M., (1985).  Parent Involvement: Tips for Helping Your Child Succeed in School. Active Parenting Publishers.