by Katie Martin
My husband and I got the list and dutifully checked it twice. The paper is wide ruled, the one-subject spiral notebooks are in the appropriate color, and we trekked all over town to snag the last package of washable markers in primary colors. The supplies have been labeled with our child’s name and packed neatly into a shiny new pencil box. Whether we’ve procrastinated until the night before orientation or have spent the summer checking the sales and stocking up, the back-to-school shopping is complete. The only thing that remains is the obligatory first day of school photo of our child holding a chalkboard inscribed with his grade level. Although this phase of preparation may be complete for another year, we understand that our involvement in our child’s education goes far beyond this.
Most likely we wouldn’t dispute our responsibility to purchase school supplies for our child’s classroom. Yet we may call into question just how big of a role we play in our child’s academic success. How do we help our child succeed in school? What can we do to promote achievement in the classroom? Just a moment of research online will supply you with a plethora of articles, videos, and even downloadable lesson plans that you can do at home with your child to foster academic success. And while there is merit in doing more reading on the subject, here is a list of a few simple things that each parent can do to promote success in school. None of these suggestions will break the bank or put stress on overscheduled calendars.
1. Encourage proper amounts of sleep.
Although parents might enjoy the quiet hours in the evening, an early bedtime for children has far more important benefits than allowing time for parents to relax. Sleep deprivation in children (and adults) can lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It can also contribute to learning disabilities and a weakened immune system. The National Sleep Foundation recommends between 10-11 hours of shut- eye every night for your grade school student between the ages of 5-12. Sleep is paramount for improving concentration and enhancing a child’s ability to learn.
2. Be involved.
But what does that mean? Do we need to be the room parent who bakes brownies, chaperones every field trip, and serves as the PTO president? What should our involvement entail? Busy schedules, younger siblings, or work demands often limit the amount of time we can volunteer within the school, but these factors shouldn’t totally keep us from being involved. We can start the school year off right by meeting the teachers, understanding their expectations, and discussing them with our children. We will want to attend school functions whenever possible, but far more important is our every- day involvement with our children at home. It is important to check that homework is being completed every day, allowing for more independence in that task as our children grow. We need to read the notes the teacher sends home and discuss the classroom happenings at home. We will talk with our children daily about what they are learning both academically and socially. And ask questions to find out what they are excited about, and which relationships are creating some difficulty for them. If problems arise, talk to the teacher, and ask, “How can I help my child succeed?” Sometimes a little suggestion from the teacher, like doing the most difficult subject first during homework time, can make a huge difference in performance.
3. Read, read, read.
The importance cannot be ignored or overstated. Reading plays a huge role in a child’s success in school. Studies highlight the importance of reading aloud to our children from birth on. Reading to children can be a huge indicator of future academic success. Pam Allyn, executive director of LitWorld, noted in a recent interview, “When I walk into a kindergarten class, within the first 10 minutes I can tell which children. . . have been read to before they came to school. Their engagement with literature in the classroom, their capacity to listen deeply, to remain engaged, their stamina for early reading—all of those factors are potentially built right from birth.”
Scientific research on brain development supports this idea as well. A 24-month-old child has twice as many synapses (connections between neurons) as an adult. “Reading to babies helps ‘wire in’ those synapses, so that babies get an early intellectual boost.” Even as your child learns to read on his own, don’t deprive him (or yourself) of that bonding time. Time spent reading together not only promotes academic success but also fosters conversation and discussion.
4. Be positive.
While the prior three suggestions deal primarily with the physical and intellectual development of our children, this one gets to the heart of it. We are raising children of God in an unbelieving world. Regardless of whether your child attends a Christian or public school, he will have teachers who make mistakes, are unfair, or have unrealistic expectations. She may struggle to learn from a teacher she doesn’t connect with or may disagree with the way a teacher runs a classroom. But at the end of the day, whether your child has an awesome teacher or one we see as less than stellar, the Bible is clear about how we are to act. The Fourth Commandment reminds us how we are to treat those God has put in authority over us. Our children’s ability to respect their teachers is encouraged or discouraged by our own attitudes within the home. Certainly this doesn’t mean you should sit back and do nothing if a bad situation arises in your child’s classroom. Rather, this gives us an opportunity to model problem solving with positivity, love, and respect on the tips of our tongues.
What do our children hear us say about their teachers? In the future, our children will be forced to work with all types of people and personalities. As our children watch us deal with difficult relationships with positivity and kindness, it will breed that behavior in future relationships.
5. Understand the journey.
Although I don’t like to admit it, helping my child with her geometry formulas reinforces how much of my worldly knowledge has been lost over the years. And while this earthly knowledge is important, we, as Christian parents, seek to equip our children with far more than a secular education.
No matter what level of academic success our children gain, it cannot be taken beyond this world. More important to our children’s journey in this world is the wisdom of salvation. The knowledge of a Savior who loves them and died for them will give them purpose in this world and usher them into eternal life. Listen to how the apostle Paul encourages his young “student” Timothy: “As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus . . . so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
Our journey on this earth is to learn more about Jesus and share him with others. As we promote academic success, may we strive to glorify God and shine the love of Jesus into each heart we encounter.
From Parents Crosslink Autumn 2018 © 2018 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.