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The school year is well underway and teachers and students as well as families are falling into the routine of daily school life. I know how busy family life can be having raised four of my own, but it is important to remember that your child’s education is a partnership between you, your students, and the school. To provide the very best experience possible there are some important simple habits that can go a long way in helping us prepare your child for life after graduation and, hopefully, being off on their own.

 

For our children to be successful, there has to be a strong commitment and buy-in from parents/guardians, schools, and the students themselves. Look at it like a triangle with parents/guardians on one side, education on the other, and students on the third. If any one of the sides is absent, the triangle is incomplete.

 

We are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage it did to our children. Interestingly, recent research is showing that early exposure and use of cell phones and other technology is contributing to the slow climb back to where we were before Covid. To help ensure that your child will make the necessary progress to move on to the next grade and eventually graduate with the knowledge and skills to be successfully employed and make good decisions, there are simple things you can do every day.

 

Begin with a good night’s sleep. Put away technology for at least 30 minutes before bed to allow their brain to wind down.

 

Read, read, read. When a child can read, they can learn on their own and the best way to improve their ability to read is to… yup you guessed it... read. Set up a time every day when your child can read, uninterrupted, for a minimum of 20 mins. Read to your child, have them read to you, have technology privilege contingent on reading, 20 mins of technology for 20 minutes of reading. Talk to your child about what they’re reading to encourage comprehension and fluency.

 

Provide a nutritious breakfast without a lot of sugar. The brain burns a tremendous amount of calories each day, so make sure the tank is full to help your child’s thinking and energy levels.

 

Make sure your kiddo is on time for school every day. This makes sure they are not missing instruction and lowers their stress levels enabling better learning.

 

Play math fact games with your kids. Use dice or cards to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication math facts. When remembering basic math becomes automatic, higher forms of math and problem solving become easier.

 

Limit and monitor technology. I invite you to look up the most current research on the effect that technology is having on our children. Suffice it to say it is important to have expectations and boundaries to keep technology a useful tool and not a distraction.

 

I know parents are doing their best every day but taking a few minutes every day to reinforce these practices and making sure homework is done can go a long way to contributing to a successful year.

 

Dr. Mike McFalls