Published in the Aug. 19 – Sept. 1, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
A Central High School student celebrates the opening of the school under a balloon arch in 2013.
The new school year is revving up, which means Morgan Hill families are getting back into the rhythm of getting young people to classrooms before the first bell. And we at Morgan Hill Life encourage parents not just to drop off their kids at the front of the school and feel they’ve done all they need to do, but to participate actively in their kids’ academic performance through the next 10 months.
When schools, families and community groups work together to support learning, students tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and like school more. And the key to academic success is for parents to show that they care about their children’s academic performance as well as social involvement in school.
Researchers of one study asked elementary and secondary principals what they would tell parents to encourage success in school for young people. The overwhelmingly No. 1 response: “Take time to talk with your children, and listen to what they have to say.”
Parents also need to take an active interest in their child and his or her performance in school by monitoring their progress in class. This does not just mean grades, but also their emotional health in classrooms. This gives children the message that if you as a parent care about how they do in school, maybe they should also. Doing well academically and socially in school also helps build a healthy sense of self-esteem in the child’s personal opinion of himself or herself.
Another way to help your child do well in school is to teach them to be responsible. Let your child know you love them, but that you also hold them accountable for their decisions. Children who are held accountable by their parents build an ethical barometer where they know right from wrong and can see the positive and negative consequences that might result from behavior they engage in.
Without doubt, one of the most important skills a child requires for academic success is literacy. The ability to read is a must for quality academic performance. Experts suggest that parents set an example by daily reading themselves, and making reading materials (including news magazine and newspapers) available for the young people in homes. And for young children, it’s never too early to read to them from storybooks. Reading time encourages the reading habit and builds a solid background for language learning.
Of course, parents of children who do well in school make certain their kids spend time on the homework. They provide a comfortable, quiet place with a small desk or table and chair to do the homework. And they also set a time for the homework study or essay writing period during the day.
There are other things that parents can do to give their children the best opportunity for academic excellence in school – and a happier time in the classroom. One important activity is to meet the new teacher at the start of the school year. Breaking the ice early with the educator helps to calm the student’s fears.
We encourage parents to visit the school during the open house or back-to-school nights. Also, some teachers welcome phone calls or e-mail messages, which is another healthy communication habit to engage in at the start of the school year to introduce yourself and build a bridge into the classroom.
The first couple of weeks of school always come with some level of tension and stress for students. But with parents and guardians helping the young people in their charge prepare for school and feel as if they have support to succeed, those warm-up weeks will go much smoother for everyone.
