Read with your child and encourage them to read on their own. Ryan Anderson, Director, Club Z Home Tutoring of Greensboro calls reading "a big one," a child's academic performance is strongly correlated with their elementary level reading scores.The best way to improve reading scores is practice. Reading daily, even for 20-30 minutes, can make a big difference. Some children are slower to enjoy reading, but don't give up. Take frequent trips to libraries and bookstores. Give your child room to explore and they will soon find a topic or genre that captivates them.
Get involved with your child's school; meet with and develop good working relationships with teachers. "Follow-through," says Charity Preston of The Organized Classroom, "If, during a parent-teacher conference, the parent and teacher create a plan (such as having homework signed by the parent nightly), then please follow-through. When a child discovers that a parent or a teacher is not following-through, they tend to slip back into old habits."
Engage with your child. Make sure they know how important their education is to you. Shared activities like cooking and trips to the zoo are great learning experiences disguised in pure fun. Playtime is also a good time to get answers from your child about their daily educational experiences. "Ask open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions of their children," advises author and education consultant, Anastasia Gavalas. Instead of "How was your day," ask them to share the best and worst events of the school day with you.
Hold children accountable for their own education. "Stop doing homework for your children," admonishes Mandee Adler, President, International College Counselors. "I work with enough "successful" students to know that the student needs to have independence to truly do well."