Improving Your Child's School Performance

All parents want their kids to do well in school. Most of us believe good grades are the gateway to successful futures. When your child is young it's hard for him to realize why getting good marks are important outside of the rewards you might give him for receiving good grades. However, you can start making good grades a regular occurrence by encouraging your child to do specific tasks at home that will help him become a better and more focused student. Remember, obtaining good grades is a responsibility that both you and your child need to work on together.

Parenting tips on encouraging your child to improve his classroom behavior and get good grades:

• Set the stage. Set aside a designated time for your child to work on schoolwork (i.e., after snack time is homework time). Make specific rules and regulations for what is expected during homework time.
• Re-check his work. Don’t perform this task as if you are undermining your children. Just make sure he is doing his work correctly. Most importantly, make sure he understands and comprehends the work.
• Make yourself available. Offer to explain work he does not understand. This may require you to read what he's learning and go over background information. Either way, it’s worth helping your child understand something he can't comprehend on his own.
• Be clear about expectations. Make sure you explain to your child what grades are rewarded and what ones aren’t tolerated. This will provide him with a solid way to judge how he performs in school and what he needs to do to meet your expectations. However, don’t set the bar too high. Undue pressure may severely limit your child’s potential.
• Coordinate with the teacher. Set up a meeting and coordinate a strategy between the two of you for the best way to improve your child’s school performance.
• Recognize exterior factors. Realize that physical activity and healthy food is more likely to result in better grades. Giving your child that well deserved outside time will result in a better focused and more eager learner.

You never want your child to feel pressure and stress about doing well in school. By practicing the above steps, your child will understand what you expect from him, but he will also know that it’s okay if he doesn't understand something as you have communicated that you will always be there for him if he needs some additional help.