We all want our kids to do well in their lives and for many that starts with a good education. While success means different things to different people if you want to ensure your child succeeds in school there are things you, as a parent, can do to help support them on their educational journey.

How well your child will do in school can be the result of many different factors. If your child is motivated and wants to achieve, then they will find it easy to put in the hard work and effort needed to get the required grades. However, if they aren’t super motivated and are prone to making goofing off in the classroom, then they may need a little more support from you to get them on the right track.

If you are worried that your child isn’t doing well in school due to academic inability, boredom, or simply a lack of motivation and might be at risk of poor grades, then it is only natural that you will want to step in and help them achieve as much as possible.

There are a lot of ways parents can support their children’s’ education. Here are some of the numerous ways that may help to keep your child motivated and working hard.

Don’t Add Pressure

Giving your child a push in the right direction is perfectly natural and acceptable, but it is important to never put too much pressure on your child to do well.

Excessive pressure can have the opposite effect of what you were trying to achieve. Your children may rebel against you when there is too much pressure being put on them. Even if they don’t rebel, they could end up getting very stressed, which could lead to additional problems. For instance, it may be difficult for them to sleep well at night and their concentration and focus could suffer as a result.

Create A Study Space

Your child will need to keep up with their homework in order to do well at school. There will also be times when they need to spend time studying or reflecting before taking important tests and exams. It’s important to have a quiet study space at home that is a designated space where your child knows exactly what is expected of them.

If you don’t have a dedicated spaced available to set aside just for homework, you can place a desk in their bedroom. Just make sure that any distractions, such as their game console and TV, are removed so that they don’t end up sitting in front of a screen instead of doing what they should be doing (speaking from experience).

If there is no room for study space in their own bedroom, you might be able to fit one in elsewhere. For instance, if you or your partner have a home study for work, then perhaps your child could use that alongside you. Otherwise, you might be able to fit a desk into your living room. If it comes to it, your child could even spread out all their homework on your dining room table when you aren’t using it for meals, but setting up clear guidelines as to when and where they should be working will help set a routine that gets your child on the right path.

Use Real World Experiences

Just as many homeschooling parents already do, using real-world experiences can really reinforce concepts and bring meaning to assignments.

Do you remember learning things at school that you thought would never ever be useful to you? Well, it can be easy to think that, but many of the things learned in the classroom are indeed used in various areas of our lives.

It’s definitely worth showing your child some real-life examples of things that they have learned at school being put into action. For instance, if you ever bake together, you can show them that their knowledge of weights and measurements that they will have learned in math class will be very useful. Similarly, you can show them how fractions work the next time you order a pizza by looking at the slices and comparing to how many people there are. You’ll need to use a fraction to pass out an equal amount!

Communicate With Your Child’s Teacher

Your child’s teacher will also be the main influence in your child’s education for the entire year and it is worth establishing lines of communication.

One of the main benefits of being in regular communication with your child’s teacher is that you will be kept up to date with your child’s progress and also informed on any issues that might need to be tackled. For example, your child’s teacher will let you know if there are any behavioral problems that need to be addressed in order for your child’s school work to improve and you can catch missing/late assignments before it is too late to do anything about it.

Develop Good Reading Habits

One of the biggest skills that your child will need to help them through school is the ability to read. Thankfully, this is something that parents can really help their children with.

One way to promote a love of reading is to get into a habit of regularly reading books with your child. Most parents read their children a bedtime story which can help to develop a love of the written word that will carry with them into their adult life. My own children love to read a story every night before bed, whether I read it to them or they read it themselves, getting lost in a story is as exciting now as it was when they were toddlers.

Utilize Your Local Library

It’s also really worth joining your local library. The library is a wealth of resources, but can also encourage your child to read more, especially if you lead by example and utilize the resources available for your own use.

In addition to books, there are plenty of other great resources that you and your child will be able to benefit from at the library. Most libraries offer audiobooks, ebooks, DVDs, and CDs. The library can also provide a quiet space for your child to go to and study if it’s ever too loud at home. My own children have used this option many times when their younger siblings cause too much of a distraction.

Encourage Creative Outlets

Learning to play an instrument, participating in theater, or writing short stories can help anyone develop their creativity.

This will can come in exceptionally useful at school by improving problem-solving skills and critical thinking. It has been shown that art improves critical thinking and can increase overall grades and test scores. These types of pursuits could also open up even more opportunities for them. For instance, they could pursue a career in music or art if they find they are truly passionate about it.

Support Extra Curricular Activities

When possible, be active in the school’s activities as well. It could mean a lot to your child if you choose to help out on school trips and field days. You might even be able to help in some of the school’s extracurricular clubs as well.

Putting in the extra effort to show interest in what your child is interested in can really go a long way to setting a good example, as well as letting your child know that the things they care about are important to you too.

Don’t Do It Alone

Whether you are working together with your spouse, or you are a single parent, find someone that you can trust to help support you when it comes to your child’s education.

It can be hard to go it alone, but having someone to bounce ideas off of and offer emotional support can be just as important as making sure your child is getting all of their homework done every day.