Parents play important role in getting students to school and in their success
Do your students a favor this school year and give them the support and structure they need to be successful.
With the back to school bustle closing upon Sanpete County quickly, we send our children off to learn and grow, but they need our support for more than just new clothes and a backpack.
One of the main ways you can help your children succeed in school is to maintain the mandatory nature of attendance.
Both North and South Sanpete School Districts have students who miss school for reasons they shouldn’t. Video games, babysitting, the list goes on. None of them are reasons to keep your children home from school, and as parents it might be easy to write them a note to excuse absence and take advantage of their presence at home, but you aren’t doing them any favors.
As the school year moves along, you owe it to your children to be consistent in monitoring their academic performance.
With the help of tech tools like PowerSchool, parents have the ability to keep track of how their kids are doing in school, look for areas they are falling behind in with their grades and help them catch up before they fall too far behind.
In addition to tracking their grades, attending parent teacher conferences remains an important part of staying involved with your children’s education. Make time to attend conferences several times a year. If necessary, move your work schedule around and even get a babysitter for your other children.
Little things can also have a big impact on children, and ensuring they are ready for school after the long, lazy summer can mean changing your routine.
Get your students used to the idea of an earlier bedtime, and a more structured morning routine before school starts. Getting into the swing of the school year early can make mornings rushing out the door much smoother, with less chance of you being late for work or your children being late for school.
Some methods of supporting your children academically can start right at home. Studies have shown that reading to your children every night can give them a big boost in important areas.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released the results of a 2017 study that shows evidence shared book reading can boost vocabulary, reading and writing skills and place your students on a path to improved grades.
Carolyn Cates, PhD, lead author and research assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, says reading to your children, even as early as during infancy, can have a positive impact well into elementary school and beyond by boosting language and literacy skills.
As a bonus, reading to your children at home can help them learn to sit still and concentrate, an extremely valuable skill that crosses over directly to in-classroom performance.
