How to Help Your Child Excel in Elementary School
Understand why your involvement in your child’s education is critical., Help your child make the transition from each grade to the next., Talk to your child’s teacher., Visit your child’s school often., Find out what the developmental growth stages...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Understand why your involvement in your child’s education is critical.
Students who perform below grade level are at a disadvantage, not only during the following school year, but throughout their educational experience.
Students who cannot locate the information they need, understand the meaning of words or utilize other essential learning skills are far more likely to drop out of school. -
Step 2: Help your child make the transition from each grade to the next.
It’s important for you to realize that starting a new grade is a major milestone in a child’s life.
Your child, although excited at the prospect, may have some fear and anxiety about beginning each school year in a different class with a different teacher.
Ease his fears and concerns before school begins, so that he feels confident and happy on the first day of school in his new grade level. , Find out what the curriculum will be for the school year, and ask your child’s teacher to give you a list of milestones the students are expected to meet throughout the school year. , Volunteer to work at the school in some capacity.
Studies have indicated that a parent’s physical presence in his child’s classroom is a better predictor of the child’s literary development than that of the family’s income level.
Your physical presence is a powerful way to tell your child that you care enough to be involved.
This message reinforces your child’s self-esteem and confidence, as well as his desire to excel academically. , Children learn differently, or their ability to learn is affected, by physical and emotional development.
It’s perfectly natural for a second grader to be antsy and to have trouble concentrating.
Knowing that will help you devise ways to help your child settle down long enough to do his or her homework. , It’s important to praise your child for his abilities, but it is just as important to praise them for trying, even if they don’t succeed.
Children who are praised for their work effort are more likely to focus on their studies , Watch TV programs with your child.
Mute the commercials and ask your child questions about what he just watched.
Ask him about the characters and the story line.
This will help foster his cognition skills, and will help him when he has to write book reports.
He can draw upon this skill of summarizing a plot and becoming a critical thinker.
Watch shows together that can teach moral and ethical lessons, as well as academic ones.
Keep a globe nearby and incorporate geography into your daily TV viewing.
If your child watches a program that takes place in Nigeria, have him find Nigeria on the globe.
If he watches a program about bird migration, ask him to trace the migratory paths on the globe. , Avoid talking to your child in simplistic terms.
Use complex words and help him look the words up in the dictionary.
Go a step further and ask your child to try to use the new word in a sentence. , Natural settings are great for decreasing stress, which aids your child’s ability to learn.
Go for regular walks or hikes with your child and help him discover the natural world around him. , Arrange for your child to take music or dance lessons.
Every activity your child engages in is a learning opportunity, and every activity he masters or becomes proficient at will increase his confidence. , Encourage your child to add to his book collection.
You can find books at bargain prices at tag sales and library book sales.
Studies have shown that children who have a small home library score higher in math and reading than children who don’t have daily access to books.
Help your child with reading.
A solid command of language and literacy is the most important asset your child can have.
If a child has excellent reading and comprehension skills, he can learn any subject.
Read to your child every night.
Encourage your child to read out loud.
Make a game out of reading everywhere you go.
Point out road signs; help your child read a menu, or a movie marquee.
You won’t just be helping him to become a better reader, you will showing him that reading is an important skill that he will use every day in every situation.
Discuss stories and books with your child.
Ask him to make comparisons between the events in the story and in his life.
Have discussions that allow your child to compare the similarities and differences between different stories and experiences.
Make sure your child sees adults and older siblings in the house reading and writing. , Ask him to write shopping lists; have him write thank you notes and encourage him to write in a journal or diary. , Children who are physically active get better academic scores.
Physical activity doesn’t just keep your child’s body healthy; it improves his mind as well. , Doing chores can help your child learn valuable skills.
Young children can better grasp the concepts of math, time and money by doing simple chores around the home.
Have your child help you cook and use measurements.
Give him a modest allowance and teach him about money.
Buy a coin counter and help him distinguish monetary denominations.
Play “store” and teach him how to count back change after a purchase. , They will do their homework better and have a better attitude towards it if they have been allowed to blow off some steam first.
No one wants to sit down and do more schoolwork after sitting in a class room all day. -
Step 3: Talk to your child’s teacher.
-
Step 4: Visit your child’s school often.
-
Step 5: Find out what the developmental growth stages are before your child enters each grade.
-
Step 6: Use praise as a motivational tool.
-
Step 7: Make television viewing an opportunity to help your child learn cognitive skills.
-
Step 8: Help your child increase his vocabulary skills.
-
Step 9: Involve your child in nature activities.
-
Step 10: Introduce your child to the arts.
-
Step 11: Provide a reading library at home.
-
Step 12: Help your child hone his penmanship.
-
Step 13: Encourage physical activity.
-
Step 14: Let your child help you with household chores.
-
Step 15: Allow your children to have some downtime after school.
Detailed Guide
Students who perform below grade level are at a disadvantage, not only during the following school year, but throughout their educational experience.
Students who cannot locate the information they need, understand the meaning of words or utilize other essential learning skills are far more likely to drop out of school.
It’s important for you to realize that starting a new grade is a major milestone in a child’s life.
Your child, although excited at the prospect, may have some fear and anxiety about beginning each school year in a different class with a different teacher.
Ease his fears and concerns before school begins, so that he feels confident and happy on the first day of school in his new grade level. , Find out what the curriculum will be for the school year, and ask your child’s teacher to give you a list of milestones the students are expected to meet throughout the school year. , Volunteer to work at the school in some capacity.
Studies have indicated that a parent’s physical presence in his child’s classroom is a better predictor of the child’s literary development than that of the family’s income level.
Your physical presence is a powerful way to tell your child that you care enough to be involved.
This message reinforces your child’s self-esteem and confidence, as well as his desire to excel academically. , Children learn differently, or their ability to learn is affected, by physical and emotional development.
It’s perfectly natural for a second grader to be antsy and to have trouble concentrating.
Knowing that will help you devise ways to help your child settle down long enough to do his or her homework. , It’s important to praise your child for his abilities, but it is just as important to praise them for trying, even if they don’t succeed.
Children who are praised for their work effort are more likely to focus on their studies , Watch TV programs with your child.
Mute the commercials and ask your child questions about what he just watched.
Ask him about the characters and the story line.
This will help foster his cognition skills, and will help him when he has to write book reports.
He can draw upon this skill of summarizing a plot and becoming a critical thinker.
Watch shows together that can teach moral and ethical lessons, as well as academic ones.
Keep a globe nearby and incorporate geography into your daily TV viewing.
If your child watches a program that takes place in Nigeria, have him find Nigeria on the globe.
If he watches a program about bird migration, ask him to trace the migratory paths on the globe. , Avoid talking to your child in simplistic terms.
Use complex words and help him look the words up in the dictionary.
Go a step further and ask your child to try to use the new word in a sentence. , Natural settings are great for decreasing stress, which aids your child’s ability to learn.
Go for regular walks or hikes with your child and help him discover the natural world around him. , Arrange for your child to take music or dance lessons.
Every activity your child engages in is a learning opportunity, and every activity he masters or becomes proficient at will increase his confidence. , Encourage your child to add to his book collection.
You can find books at bargain prices at tag sales and library book sales.
Studies have shown that children who have a small home library score higher in math and reading than children who don’t have daily access to books.
Help your child with reading.
A solid command of language and literacy is the most important asset your child can have.
If a child has excellent reading and comprehension skills, he can learn any subject.
Read to your child every night.
Encourage your child to read out loud.
Make a game out of reading everywhere you go.
Point out road signs; help your child read a menu, or a movie marquee.
You won’t just be helping him to become a better reader, you will showing him that reading is an important skill that he will use every day in every situation.
Discuss stories and books with your child.
Ask him to make comparisons between the events in the story and in his life.
Have discussions that allow your child to compare the similarities and differences between different stories and experiences.
Make sure your child sees adults and older siblings in the house reading and writing. , Ask him to write shopping lists; have him write thank you notes and encourage him to write in a journal or diary. , Children who are physically active get better academic scores.
Physical activity doesn’t just keep your child’s body healthy; it improves his mind as well. , Doing chores can help your child learn valuable skills.
Young children can better grasp the concepts of math, time and money by doing simple chores around the home.
Have your child help you cook and use measurements.
Give him a modest allowance and teach him about money.
Buy a coin counter and help him distinguish monetary denominations.
Play “store” and teach him how to count back change after a purchase. , They will do their homework better and have a better attitude towards it if they have been allowed to blow off some steam first.
No one wants to sit down and do more schoolwork after sitting in a class room all day.
About the Author
Daniel Brown
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: