Learning more about what your child is studying at school and what they get up to generally will allow you to support them appropriately at home and make sure they get the right help from their teachers. Showing enthusiasm for their education might also rub off on them and lead to them approaching their schoolwork more positively. If you want to get involved in your child’s education, read on for some advice from an independent school in Bath.
Support them with homework
Although we shouldn’t try to do our children’s homework for them, it’s important we as parents support them through it and provide guidance when they ask for it. Children need to solve problems and work things out for themselves, but knowing you’re always there to encourage them will give them the security they need to approach homework positively. Taking an interest in what they’re learning will also help them feel more enthusiastic about their studies.
Volunteer at their school
Volunteering at your child’s school in some capacity, such as reading to children, chaperoning them on school trips or helping with fundraising activities will give you great insight into what goes on there. You’ll find out things you never knew, and might even get a chance to see what your child gets up to. Having this first hand knowledge will help you relate to them and ask relevant questions about their school day. It will also communicate to your child that their education is important to you.
Discover their learning style
Children learn differently and all have their own unique learning style; spending some time identifying the way your child learns best will enable you to support them fully at home and make sure they receive appropriate assistance at school. Your child might be a visual learner, in which case they probably respond better to information presented visually, such as diagrams and charts; or they might be an auditory learner and learn best by listening to the information being read aloud.
They could also be a kinaesthetic learner and absorb and retain information best when they can get hands-on and physically experience what they’re learning. Spend some time observing your child to see what they find easy or hard so you can pinpoint their dominant learning style and support them appropriately.
Getting as involved as possible in your child’s education shows them how important it is and that school is something to be enjoyed, rather than endured!
