HOW 10 MINUTES A NIGHT CAN IMPROVE YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION AND FUTURE Connecting with your student at home.

Why should parents be involved The Michigan Dept. of Education found that  Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have:  Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates  Better school attendance  Increased motivation, better self-esteem  Lower rates of suspension  Decreased use of drugs and alcohol  Fewer instances of violent behavior

When am I supposed to get involved? ASAP!!!!!!!!  Why wait when the impact is so great? The most effective forms of parent involvement are those, which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home.

What can I do to help my child? Read with your child  Children who read at home with mom and dad improve their skills over kids who only practice at school.

Enjoy a nice meal together Having a routine for your child, like eating dinner together, having them do chores, and giving them a place where they can do homework quietly is an easy thing to do and also a great way to build those family bonds and teach responsibility.

Goal setting Setting up realistic, attainable, yet challenging goals will teach the child to work hard and achieve.  4 necessary things for a goal to be set: 1. Be specific (good: I want you to earn a 3.5; bad: I want you to earn better grades) 2. Have a deadline (“You have until the end of the month to get your grade up to a B”) 3. Be realistic yet challenging If a 3.0 is realistic yet challenging then that’s what their goal should be 4. It has to be measurable This is simple in school progress as everything is measured. They get grades, they get progress reports, homework, etc. all measured.

LTG vs STG Keeping your child motivated is hard and keeping them motivated for a long period of time is even harder.  Break down their long-term goals into several short-term goals.  Have a reward system in place so that they keep interested Nothing too big. Take them out for ice cream or let them pick the restaurant when you go out to eat.  Be careful not to ingrain bribery!!!  Try to instill that they are doing all of this because it is worthwhile and beneficial, not because they are getting “paid” to do it. Talk to them about how fun it is to learn and grow!

Do you know what your kids are watching? Parents who monitor TV watching habits and have books available to their kids will improve the child’s performance.  Provide stimulating experiences and take them on trips to increase their skills and understanding.

Be a model Show your child that education is important. By taking an active role in their education, you are communicating to your child that there are standards that are expected and they are an important value in your household.  Check their homework  quiz them on their spelling test  Communicate with their teachers