Junior year is one of the most important years in high school. It’s the year most colleges look at GPA to determine if you are worthy of admission. It is also the year you take the college board exams. If there is a year you should hit your marks, it’s that one. That’s the opposite of what happened to me. Junior year was the year I struggled the most. I was having real trouble with my grades for the first time. Every day I felt like I was sinking further and further into a hole. I needed help from my parents most of all.
Whether your child is struggling or falling short of what they could do, their academic success or failure begins at home. Here are 5 things you can do at home to help your child get better grades.
1. Homework success.
Even good students need oversight to make sure their homework is on target. So, even if your child says they’re doing their homework, check in with your child’s teacher once a grading period to make sure that’s happening.
2. Sleep = Success.
Do you know how much sleep your child really needs each night to function well in school?
3. Fueling the brain.
School-age brains need lots of fuel to stay sharp. That begins with eating healthy food at home. Start your child’s day with a good breakfast. If you’re in a rush, choose a cereal that is fortified with vitamins and minerals. The milk your child gets in his cereal will also increase the nutritional value. Think twice before having breakfast bars or other quickie meals on a regular basis. They usually don’t have a lot of protein and do have lots of sugar.
4. Peace and Planning.
Okay, Mom, you will more likely have peace in the morning if you get organized the night before. And, if you can manage it, get yourself ready before your kids get up so you can respond to any morning emergencies or last-minute needs. Also on the home front, studies show that even infants are negatively affected when their parents argue. So, take a mature approach to conflict within your marriage and model how to handle disagreements calmly and respectfully. Your children are soaking in more than you know, and if they sense that the stability of their home life is in jeopardy, they’ll lose some of their ability to focus on what they need to: schoolwork and the joys of childhood.
5. Screen-free zones.
It might sound radical, but lots of families have a no-TV, no-video game policy during the school week. Once you get your kids to buy into it, you don’t have to argue about it.
Tell us! What helps your kids with their grades the most?
