Learning is always a partnership between home and school. If a child’s parents or guardians work in conjunction with their teacher to give them the support they need, then the chances for academic excellence and a happy educational experience increase dramatically.

Here are six tips for what you can do to help your child succeed in school:

1. Have a Routine That You Follow
   Whether they groan about it or not, kids need and want structure in their lives. So, for example, you might schedule daily homework time after they have come back from school and had a snack, and before the TV goes on or dinner is made. By keeping to a schedule like this, kids will learn to automatically open their books and start work because they know that this is the time to do this.
2. Cultivate Healthy Habits
   Without the right amount of sleep or good nutrition, kids will have trouble concentrating in class and learning. Set a regular bedtime that gives your children enough sleep. Start their day with healthy breakfasts and pack their lunches with healthy food and snacks. Cut down their screen time and ensure they get physical exercise.
3. Model Good Behavior
   It’s more effective to be a do-as-I-do parent rather than a do-as-I-say one. If you want your child to embrace reading, for example, then you should be reading books, newspapers and magazines around the house. The same goes for eating well, staying active and having a curiosity for learning new things.
4. Extend Learning Beyond School
   Help your kids realize that learning – a lot of it – happens outside school. Get them a library card (and go to the library regularly), bookmark interesting educational websites, go to museums and art galleries, buy educational games – make them lovers of lifelong learning.
5. Present a United Front
   Do your best to support your teacher and their work with your child, staying in communication as needed. If a problem crops up with what the teacher is doing, do not undercut your child’s respect for them by questioning their actions in front of them. Speak to the teacher directly to work out the problem, or go to the principal if a matter cannot be resolved. If a student loses respect for a teacher, then behavior problems can crop up. Your child must view you and their teacher as a united team.
6. Read Often and Well
   Reading is the gateway to all learning, at school and in life. So it is important that kids learn to read effectively from the very start. Read to your young children so they learn to love their stories. Encourage them to read on their own as they get older, perhaps setting times for family reading. And if they have troubles learning to read, or if you want them to jump ahead in their reading abilities, consider getting them the help of a professional and effective reading tutor.

To help your child succeed in school and life, contact Read Smart for a free reading evaluation.

As the leading reading tutor center in Tulsa, the team at Read Smart specializes in helping kids who are behind in their reading skills or who simply want to get ahead with reading. With individualized strategies and a warm, caring and fun environment, we give kids the skills they need for the rest of their academic and professional lives.