As adults we know the value of education and why it’s important that we actively push our children to reach their full potential. Whether you’re a mathlete or not, there are many ways in which you can do this. Your words alone can help to influence and motivate them while additional practice at home can help them to get to grips with what they are taught in class. Below is some advice that was shared with us by a pre prep school in London on how to be more involved in your child’s education.
Speak to Their Teacher
Your child’s teacher will have encountered many other students like your child. They have had the opportunity to observe and understand their unique educational needs. The teacher will be able to give an idea as to how you can help by sharing their strengths and weaknesses so that you can work together and help them progress.
Ask About Their Day
Paying an interest and learning about how your child spent their day can help you to form a stronger relationship with them whilst learning about how things are at school. While their progress is important, so is everything else outside of class. There may be issues that you’ve not been alerted to by their teachers. These may have affected them somewhat such as issues within their friendship groups.
Fostering Personal Growth and Wellbeing
Lifelong learning is not solely about career progression; it also enriches personal development and wellbeing. Higher education encourages exploration of diverse disciplines, cultural perspectives, and global issues. Engaging with new ideas, participating in discussion groups, and pursuing research projects foster self-confidence, creativity, and a sense of purpose. Many universities offer community learning initiatives, such as public lectures, workshops, and volunteering opportunities, which allow learners to connect with others and continue personal growth outside a formal academic setting.
When it comes to fostering that personal growth and wellbeing from an early age, a lot of that is achieved by choosing the right independent school or institute that will enable your child to thrive as they grow. Not just to pass their exams but to thrive as a well-rounded individual.
Help with Homework
It’s important that children take time to revisit what they have learned at school as much of it will have been forgotten. This is fact and something which we cannot help as humans. Repetition and revision can help to make sure that the concepts that are taught are fully understood and remembered, allowing them to see notable progress at school. If this is an area that you struggle with due to time constraints or confusion around the curriculum, a tutor may be able to help. There are also a plethora of resources online from YouTube tutorials for parents to fun videos designed to help children with their understanding.
Tackling Disinterest
If you experience difficulty in motivating your child, be rest assured that many children go through this phase and it is something that is easily remedied. You can talk to them like an adult about the importance of education, what they want to pursue in the future and how integral the next few years will be in shaping that. You can also look for more engaging ways to help them understand and digest information, for example, interactive educational games.
Take a Look at Their Exercise Books
Their books will have plenty of examples of the work that they are capable of as well as feedback from their teachers. You can use this to understand how they are doing and what they need to work on.
Stay in The Loop
Parents often have the opportunity to have a say in the running of their child’s school. They are usually appointed as a part of what is known as a “PTA” or “Parent-Teacher Association” whereby they can express their concerns and share suggestions, allowing them to directly improve the quality of their child’s education.
Be Wary of Added Pressure
Children today have a lot of pressure. They have exams to worry about, peer pressure and twice as many distractions to fight and pull themselves away from. While there is a lot riding on them to do well, it’s important to not forget that they are still children. They should have the opportunity to just be themselves and have fun which is why you should also try and avoid adding any unnecessary pressure.
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