Every parent wants their child to excel at school but most will go through ups and downs. The school years can be stressful and hard for both kids and parents. To make life easier and help you to improve learning outcomes for your child, we’ve put together a list of helpful hacks.
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Strike a healthy balance between studying and downtime
Most children have to work hard to progress and do well at school. As a parent, it’s beneficial to teach children the value of working and trying hard but it’s also important to understand the need for balance. Putting too much pressure on children and making them study all the time can be counterproductive. Kids should have a healthy balance between learning and downtime. They need time to relax and unwind and explore different types of activities. You don’t have to be in a classroom to learn. Mix studying with outdoor adventures, watching movies, playing games and going to museums, galleries and attractions, such as castles, wildlife parks, national parks and famous landmarks. It’s helpful to try to establish routines for your child. If they get used to doing homework when they get home from school, for example, they can relax for the rest of the evening and enjoy their weekends.
Take advantage of learning resources
In days gone by, children learned by reading books, listening to their teachers and doing exercises in textbooks. Today, there’s an incredible range of resources available, which are designed to educate children and teens and offer new ways to learn. Online games, interactive quizzes, educational documentaries and TV series, printable worksheets, demo tests and exams, audiobooks, software programs, apps and video classes are available to teachers, parents and children. You can get more info about video lessons and explore topics and subjects online and search for activities that match certain topics, theories or subjects. Filter results based on the age of the child and try to vary activities to make learning fun. Videos, images, movies, animations, graphs and charts can all help to simplify complex topics and help children and teens to get a better understanding and retain information.
Create a suitable study area
The environment in which your child studies can have a major bearing on their ability to think clearly, process and retain information and focus. If you’ve ever tried to work while there’s a conversation going on in the office, or you’ve taken your laptop to a coffee shop with the intention to work, you’ll probably know that it’s much harder to concentrate and tackle tasks if you’re contending with noise or you’re not comfortable. To help your kids learn at home, it’s beneficial to create a suitable study area. Set up a desk in their bedroom, use the dining room if you tend to spend most of your time in the kitchen, or section off a corner of the kitchen or living room. Make sure it’s quiet and private and give your child time and space to get their work done. It’s helpful to maximize natural light and make sure they have a comfortable chair.
Reward effort
It’s very easy to get carried away with grades and prizes as a parent. It’s brilliant when your kids come home and they’ve done fantastically on a test or an assignment, but it’s also great when they put a lot of effort into their work or other activities and pursuits. Reward effort, celebrate milestones and try to avoid focusing solely on marks and academic metrics. Some children are incredibly gifted in other areas, such as sports, drama, art or music and there are lots of reasons to be proud of kids that don’t revolve around what they do in the classroom. Recognize hard work and commitment and let your child know that you’re proud of them if they’ve helped their teachers or they’ve been there for their friends, for example. There’s nothing wrong with wanting your kids to get great results in their exams and assignments, but it’s important to let children and teens know that good grades are not the only marker of success.
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Parents play an integral role in educating their kids and helping them to learn and develop. Whether you have young children or your kids are in high school, it’s natural to want to support them in any way you can. To improve learning outcomes, strike a healthy balance between studying and enjoying downtime and make use of resources and learning materials and activities. Establish a routine, create a quiet study area and reward effort, as well as results and achievements.
