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“Chief Education Officers” Top Tips for Success from Sylvan Learning

• Establish a line of communication with teachers. Parents should interact with teachers early and often throughout the school year. They should ask teachers how they’d like to be communicated with and when the best times are to call, email, text or meet in person. Often times, parents wait until a problem arises to reach out but that problem can often be nipped in the bud long before it becomes a crisis by keeping the lines of communication open.

• Talk to kids often about academics. Whether in the car on the way to soccer practice or at the dinner table, parents should ask their children daily what they learned at school. If a child is reluctant to talk about a subject or test, this may indicate extra help is needed.

• Know where children stand academically. A child’s grades shouldn’t be a surprise when his or her report card arrives. If the classroom teacher doesn’t provide a syllabus at the beginning of the year that lists out grading policies, parents can approach the teacher to get a handle on expectations. Progress reports and report cards can be great benchmarks but CEOs shouldn’t hesitate to have check-ins with teachers in between.

• Track progress. CEOs should keep samples of schoolwork throughout each grade and from year to year. This is a great way to see just how far a student has progressed from the first day of school to the last and from one grade to the next.

• Set a good example. Kids are very observant and they pick up on their parents’ attitudes and behaviors. It’s important to have a positive attitude and regularly acknowledge the importance of education. Parents can show their child that learning can be a life-long activity by taking a class on an interesting subject or making a point to read one book per month.

• Check homework daily. It’s important to let kids take the lead on completing homework assignments but parents can help by reviewing the completed work. If kids need help, parents should try to provide guidance, not answers.

• Help kids develop strong study skills. Mastering effective study skills can be the “secret behind the A,” turning good students into great students. From time management and organization to researching and writing effectively, these important skills and strategies give students a consistent process to succeed with every academic challenge.

• Get involved in your local PTA. There’s no better way for parents to know what’s happening at their child’s school than joining the PTA. Local units offer a variety of programs and benefits for parents and students. In addition, PTA functions are a chance to meet other parents and teachers, building a rapport and sharing ideas, concerns and experiences.

Don’t forget Stop by Sylvan Source for the Latest Tips for you as “CEO” of your child. 

Have you had a chance to visit The Sylvan Source, a blog created by +Sylvan Learning?  We are both proud to be a contributing writers for an amazing company that helps children find academic success.  We are thrilled to see that they’ve recently joined up with the +National PTA.

Tips from Amanda Boyarshinov on Sylvan Source