9 ways to help your child do better in school

Both at school and at home, a student’s brain processes a multitude of information every day. It’s their ability to sort and use this information that determines what they retain. To help your child make good use of information, ask them to do the following:

• Listen and pay attention to their surroundings
• Ask questions
• Make connections between current and new knowledge
• Evaluate the credibility of their sources
• Explain why they’ve chosen to believe a particular statement
• Etc.

Whether you’re trying to solve a real-world problem or a math word problem, your mental process is the same: you reflect and come up with hypotheses. Whenever you encourage your child to find solutions on their own, you help them become more competent. Take this approach one step further and invite your child to do the following:

• Identify their needs
• Pinpoint any issues or difficulties
• List elements contributing to the problem
• Explore possible solutions
• Choose the best option
• Adjust their approach if results are unsatisfactory
• Etc.

Critical thinking allows us to exercise free will (i.e., to judge a situation and make decisions). This skill is essential not only at school, but also when navigating friendships. Critical judgment is just one competency that determines the degree to which a student is influenced by their peers. That’s why it’s important to allow your child to exercise critical judgment. For instance, you can encourage them to do the following:

• Express their opinion on several subjects
• Distinguish between what’s permitted and what’s not
• Consider the opinions of others
• Identify their likes and dislikes
• Verify the accuracy of information
• Avoid preconceived ideas
• Understand their rights and obligations (e.g., as a student, child, citizen)
• Etc.

Someone once said, “Organized people are lazy.” Well, there’s some truth to the saying! People who work efficiently waste less energy and save themselves a lot of stress. And, all jokes aside, organization is key to academic success. To boost your child’s efficiency, help them do the following:

• Understand and follow instructions
• Use an agenda
• Organize their workspace and materials
• Keep all their materials at hand
• Develop a stick-with-it attitude
• Find new ways to increase their efficiency
• Etc.

Being able to work in a team, share knowledge, and benefit from the help of peers are essential skills for getting ahead—at school and in life. To help your child to become a champion of cooperation, teach them to do the following:

• Listen to and respect others’ ideas
• Acknowledge classmates’ work and contributions
• Share games, knowledge, etc.
• Communicate their ideas
• Adapt to changes
• Etc.

Today’s new technologies are impossible to ignore. Computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices are here to stay. They’ve even made their way into schools. Here are some suggestions for helping your child explore these tools:

• Use the right terms when talking about technologies
• Teach your child how to use a keyboard
• Encourage them to discover and use a variety of software
• Allow them to surf the web for information
• Etc.

Knowing who you are means knowing where you’re going. When it comes to decision-making (e.g., school courses, friends, extracurricular activities), children who really know themselves are more likely to make choices that suit their needs and desires. To help your child figure out who they are, encourage them to do the following:

• Figure out what they like and dislike
• Broaden their interests (e.g., by playing a different sport, exploring an artistic talent)
• Talk about their feelings
• Describe their intentions
• Express their thoughts
• Acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses
• Manage their emotions
• Etc.

Creativity is essential in art class, but also comes in handy in other subjects, not to mention a host of everyday situations. Fortunately, the following activities can help your child develop creative thinking:

• Reading
• Drawing
• Writing stories
• Visiting museums
• Exploring different artistic mediums (e.g., gouache, crayons)
• Etc.

Communicating is more than just talking! It’s conveying your ideas clearly and concisely without offending the opinions or feelings of the other person. To help your child become a good communicator, teach them how to do the following:

• Organize their thoughts
• Prioritize information
• Express their emotions in writing, speech, or gestures
• Respect others’ points of view
• Listen actively (e.g., expressing interest, rephrasing what’s been said)
• Etc.