One of the most important things a parent can do each year is get to know his child's teacher. Go to the open house at the beginning of each year. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child's teacher and find out what she expects in the coming year. Teachers generally give out information including email addresses, phone numbers, and hours they can be reached. It is important to make the impression that the parent expects as much from the teacher as he does the child. Whenever there are other activities at school, be sure to be present. If you cannot attend, let the teacher know why you won't be there. Setting up a good rapport between parent and teacher is a key step in monitoring your child's education.
When your child comes home from school, there should be established routines. When a child has structure and routines he feels secure. Set a routine for doing homework and studying. Offer guidance, but don't do his homework for him. Look through his book bag and organize any papers or assignments. Have your child participate and when he is old enough, have him organize it himself. Teaching your child how to organize is essential. When provided with the skill of good organization and a fixed, yet flexible, routine, family life is more organized and peaceful. It will be much easier to keep up with what skills he is mastering or needs help with.
Communication between a parent and child is another method of keeping up with your child's education. Ask your child daily what he did at school that day. When helping with homework, ask questions about what he is doing and how he arrived at his answers. Discuss what is going on in the book he is reading. Ask him about the setting of the book, its characters and their problems. By asking questions, parents get a feel for a child's understanding of what he is doing.
Parents can keep track of their child's educational progress by encouraging their child to set goals and fulfill his dreams. They can help their children realize that education does not only apply to learning at school. Extracurricular activities help children in ways that school classes may not. Enrolling children in after-school activities can lead them to have more confidence in their education. Extracurricular activities help strengthen academic and thinking skills as well as social skills. When parents allow their children the opportunity for extracurricular activities, they may be paving the way for a life-long career.