Positive Parental Involvement Can Help:

- Connect and strengthen parent/child relationship in these crucial years

- Improve student morale, attitudes, and academic achievement

- Improve students’ behavior, social adjustment, and emotional development

- Encourage students to ask and seek help when needed

General Tools for Success:

• Praise students when they ask for help

  • Understand that asking for help can be scary - Assist them in learning how and when to ask and seek help

• Review/Study for tests together

  • Remind students that tests are important and should be taken seriously

• Help monitor homework [Also see ‘Homework’ below]

  • Are they completing the homework and turning it in on time?

• Help teach organizational skills

  • Check their agenda, backpacks, binders, and notebooks

• Help teach time management skills

  • What are they doing after school? Are they procrastinating or not doing homework at all?

  • Map out what needs to be done and when things are due

  • Don’t leave assignments for the last minute

• Help teach study skills

  • Make and use flashcards, quiz your children, review/rewrite notes

Set Reasonable Goals:

• Help students figure out what their goal is for a particular class, assignment, 6-weeks, or trimester. Start out small (attainable).

  • Sample Goals: I will…

    • Turn in all homework assignments for a week

    • Spend 30 minutes a day studying for my Math test

    • Attend HW Club twice a week and ask for help

Homework:

• Find a quiet place with no distractions (TV, phone, social media, etc.)

• Establish a time when your student must be working on homework.

  • Set a routine

    • Example: Get home from school, have a snack, work on homework, have dinner, finish homework

• Make yourself available

  • Let students know that you care about the work they are doing and the grades they are earning

  • Ask specific questions to get more information:

    • “Which assignment do you think you need to work on first?”

    • “What homework will you need help with?”

    • “What tests do you have this week?”