Take time to review the first half of the school year
It’s the beginning of a new calendar year—and nearly the halfway point in the school year. So it’s a good time to take stock of your child’s habits and make needed adjustments.
Talk with your child about how he thinks the school year is going. If the two of you set learning goals at the start of the year, review those goals now. Is he making progress? How can he make the rest of the school year even better?
Then, help your child make some resolutions. Here are four to consider:
- Recommit to routines. Has your child’s bedtime begun to slip? Are mornings more rushed? Is his regular study time now not quite so regular? Sleep and study routines make life easier—and help kids do better in school.
- Spend more time reading. There is no skill that will help your child more in school. And reading ability, like other skills, gets better with practice. Encourage your child to read every day. Let him read about anything, from sports to his favorite movie characters.
- Limit recreational screen media. Talk about ways to reduce the amount of time your child spends watching videos and shows, playing games and browsing online. Set and enforce daily limits.
- Have a positive mindset. Positive thinking makes it easier for students to tackle challenges and ask for help. To promote positivity, help your child manage his stress, visualize a successful outcome and learn from his mistakes.
Find more great articles in the January 2022 issue of Parents Make the Difference!® newsletter.
Reprinted with permission from the January 2022 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2022 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.