It was never my intention to pressure my kids into getting honors, but I guess being on the top is in their blood (err, as much as I want to take the credits, they got it from their dad.. creativity’s my department, not logic teehee). Of course, I want them to have as much high grades as they can get and to let them know their limit and how much they can do. Actually, for the last school years, I have been experimenting with them, there were times that I don’t even help them with their assignments, not that I don’t care but I want to see how much they can do without my help and there are times that I help them and see how much they can improve with my help. Because of my experiments with them, I have learned their limits and how to push them a little more. I also learned how to teach them and help them effectively. As a parent, I think it is always an advantage to observe your child so that you will learn how to address their needs.
This coming school year, let me give you tips on how to help your child with their academics and what you can do to help your child/children improve their grades.
Know your kid’s learning style. There are many different learning styles coming from different models. Fleming’s VAK model suggests that there are 3 styles in learning, namely:
- visual learners
- auditory learners
- kinesthetic learners
Visual Learners are those who learns through seeing. Think abut photos, visual aides, diagrams, reading etc. They have a high use for sense of sight.
Auditory Learners are those who prefers hearing or listening a subject matter. They learn through lectures, discussions and those that involves the use of sense of hearing.
Kinesthetic Learners are those who learn via experience. Information are easily remembered if they got to explore it. Kinesthetic learners uses sense of touch, taste and smell.
Observe you child and try to know how they remember things easily. Based on my experiences and observations, boys are mostly visual learners or kinesthetic learners and girls are more of auditory learners. So when I teach my boys, I always use visual aides (and my friends knows that!), I take time writing their lessons on cartolinas and taping it on our walls and I also make reviewers with lots of photos.
By knowing how your kid/s learn, you will know how to teach them. Do they need visual aides? or they prefer that you discuss their assignments/ lessons with you?
Establish/develop a study habit. After class, with or without assignments, practice your child to sit and study for at least 30 minutes to an hour until they develop a habit. This will be helpful not only in improving your kid/s school grade but as well as in their future. Developing a study habit for your kid will teach them discipline.
To effectively establish or develop study habit, take into consideration the study place. It has to be without much distraction such as TV or toys. If at first your kid is against the idea or does not show enthusiasm with it, use the reward method.
Challenge your child. Kids are well know for pleasing their parents. Challenge your child /children to do more in school. Talk to them about their academics. Let them know how much you expect from them. Of course, you have to be careful with this so as not to put too much pressure on your child. And yes, reward systems works!
Boost your child’s confidence. Nothing beats the hug and kiss of a mother to boost your child/children confidence. It also helps if you will be careful on criticizing them. Use of words that are degrading should be avoided too, use encouraging words instead. Of course, letting them know that you support them in whatever they do or whatever score they got, is another way to boost their confidence.
This coming school year will be more challenging for me as I will not be only tutoring my 2 school boys, I will also be homeschooling my 2 toddlers. I have tried homeschooling with my first born but patience gets in the way.. this school year, I am ready to face this challenge and you will expect to hear more school related and home schooling related articles.
