Every day my students spend approximately seven hours at school. During those seven hours I teach content, model behaviors and attitudes, referee disagreements, and establish routines to facilitate learning. When students leave my classroom for the day, they leave my sphere of influence. The important thing to note is that my sphere is not separate from a parent’s sphere. It is encompassed within the parent’s sphere of influence. My students are greatly influenced by the attitudes and actions of their parents. They are influenced by YOU.

Parents are a crucial part of a student’s academic development. However, some of you might be wondering how you can help your student do well in school. Have I got some great news for you! Every parent can assist students’ learning by taking some important steps at home. These will prepare students for being in school and reinforce the skills that they are learning.

What are some of these effective steps to assist children’s education? One simple action is to attend all open houses and parent-teacher conferences. This helps parents stay connected to the school, learn the policies and routines of the classroom, and get specific feedback on how a child is doing academically. In addition, students who come to school with a nutritious breakfast and plenty of  sleep tend to do better. No matter the age, how much they eat and sleep is important! Finally, if they’re healthy, send them to school. If they’re sick, keep them home. Don’t spread the germs! And if students are absent for a lengthy period of time, ask the teacher for homework to ease the return to school.

The following article discusses these ideas and provides some additional information for parents to aid their students’ ability to learn:

10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed in School

Parents, you are a vital link in your children’s development. You matter.  Your efforts to partner with teachers to educate your children and help them develop into responsible, knowledgeable, and empathetic citizens make a difference!