Studies have shown that parental involvement can be a significant factor in a child’s academic success. It can be hard, however, to know when and where to step in. Here are just a few ideas for getting involved and taking more control of your child’s education.
Hire a Tutor
If your child is struggling academically, a tutor can help. They’ll provide specialized, one-on-one attention, the kind that your child can’t always receive in a crowded classroom, and they can also tailor their tutoring sessions to your child’s unique learning style. You can also use a tutor to supplement, reinforce, or correct the school’s curriculum if you like or dislike what they’re teaching.
Enroll Your Child in an After School Program
Also called “out-of-school programs,” after-school programs can offer everything from homework help to computer training to extracurricular sports and hobbies. If you’re concerned about your child’s academic development, you can look for an after-school program with a scholastic focus. In addition to providing more hours of the day in an educational setting, after-school programs can also offer things like greater student support and smaller student-to-teacher ratios. However, these factors can be dependent on the program.
Consider a Charter School
Charter schools are gaining popularity among today’s parents: Enrollment has nearly doubled in the past decade. Unlike public schools, charter schools aren’t beholden to the state’s curriculum, so they can have different teaching methods and academic focus areas. Some companies, such as Agora Cyber Charter School, know that another notable thing about charter schools is that they can come with distance learning options. An online charter school might be just what you need to take a more hands-on approach to your child’s education.
Create Your Own Lessons
You don’t have to be an educator to teach your kids a thing or two. In fact, you can deliver dynamic, personalized lessons in ways that educators can’t. You know your child better than anyone else, so you know which methods that they respond to and how to encourage them when they get stuck. You can also enrich their learning with home- or community-based activities outside of school. If they’re talking about dinosaurs in science class, for example, you can take them to a history museum to see real T-Rex bones. This kind of creative thinking can really deliver memorable lessons.
It can be difficult to figure out which parenting strategies will actually help your child succeed, especially in an academic environment. Use these tips to take more control of your child’s education and put them on a path to a better, brighter future.
