10 things parents can do to help students succeed

1. Build relationships with your child’s teachers. Find out what each teacher expects of your teenager
and how you can help him or her prepare to meet those expectations.
2. Read. Reading is the foundation for all learning. Expose your teen to a wide variety of reading materials
(newspapers, magazines, books, Internet Web sites) and be ready to discuss what he or she has learned.
Helping your child develop strong reading habits and skills is one of the most important contributions you
can make to your child’s education.
3. Practice writing at home. Letters, journal entries, e-mail messages, and grocery lists are all writing
opportunities. Show that writing is an effective form of communication and that you write for a variety
of purposes.
4. Make math part of everyday life. Cooking, gardening, paying bills, balancing a checkbook, and even
shopping are all good ways to help your child understand and use mathematics skills. Show that there
may be many ways to get to the right answer and encourage your child to explain his or her method.
5. Ask your child to explain his or her thinking. Ask lots of “why” questions. Teenagers should be able
to explain their reasoning, how they came up with the right answer, and why they chose one answer
over another.
6. Expect that homework will be done. Keep track of your teen’s homework assignments and regularly look
at his or her completed work. Some teachers now give parents a number to call for a recorded message
of that day’s homework assignments; others put the information on the Internet. If your school doesn’t
offer these features, talk to the teacher about how you can get this important information. Even if there
aren’t specific assignments, find out how you can stay informed about what your child is working on so
that you can help at home.
7. Use the community as a classroom. Feed your child’s curiosity about the world 365 days a year. Take
your child to museums, local government buildings, state parks, and workplaces. Encourage your young
adult to volunteer in a field or area of interest in order to show how learning connects to the real world.
These activities will reinforce what is learned in the classroom and may help your teen decide what to
do with his or her future.
8. Encourage group study. Open your home to your child’s friends for informal study sessions. Promote
outside formal study groups through church or school organizations or other groups. Study groups will be
especially important as your child becomes older and more independent. The study habits your teen learns
now will carry over into college and beyond.
9. Help other parents understand academic expectations. Use your school and employee newsletters,
athletic associations, booster clubs, a PTA or PTO meeting, or just a casual conversation to help other
parents understand what academic standards mean for them, their children, and their school and how
they can help their children learn at home.
10. Spend time at school. The best way to know what goes on in your child’s school is to spend time there.
If you’re a working parent, this isn’t easy, and you may not be able to do it very often. But “once in awhile”
is better than “never.