All parents want their kids to excel in everything, especially when it comes to their academics. You work hard just to ensure they go to a good school. Some parents would even work multiple jobs just to enroll their kids in the best school in the area.
Time and time again, teachers can’t stress enough just how important parent involvement is in their kid’s classroom potential. A child’s education can suffer if what parents do is simply send them off to school. Parents can certainly do better than simply choose a school and ensure all of their kid’s school needs are met.
How Parent Involvement Influences a Child’s Academic Performance
Parents are the kid’s first role models. They are also the children’s first mentors, educators, and motivators. More often than not, simply being there and offering financial support is not enough to ensure the kids get everything they possibly need to succeed.
Parents and the Kid’s Sense of Identity
For one, parents play a significant role in the kids’ sense of identity. Many parents are guilty of using their children’s academic results as the kid’s cognitive ability. This is why some parents call their kids smart, while others use negative labels to refer to their child.
If the parents themselves don’t explain to their kids that learning is a skill one can develop over time, then kids will come to accept the identity their parents have come to label them. Negative or not, these can have an impact on the child’s development.
Labeling your kids with negative words will eventually make the kids think they are really dumb or slow. On the other hand, constantly praising kids about how smart they are can also have negative effects on their young minds. They can end up thinking they are always better than anyone else their age, thus compelling them to no longer make an effort to study or compete.
Parent Engagement and Academic Achievement
Studies show that parental engagement is a critical element that boosts children’s academic achievement. The more involved the parents are in their kids’ life both in school and at home, the higher academic performance their kids get. This goes to show just how powerful your involvement is can be for your kid’s academic success.
Note that helping kids maximize their academic potential can also play a huge role in their future success in other areas. This does not simply apply to your kids’ grades at school. This can also help your kids do better in all areas of their life even after graduation.
What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Reach Their Academic Potential
There are many things parents can do to help kids perform better in school. One can hire necessary help from tutors and provide kids a space for schoolwork at home. Some other tactics you can consider that you may not have known before are as follows.
Allow Them to Choose a Training of Their Choice
One does not necessarily need to only focus on their current subjects just to excel at school. Letting your kids enjoy other activities outside of school can be a great way to motivate them to do their best in everything they do. Just make sure they get the chance to make the decision on what activity to train for.
For instance, kids who are into singing can consider taking up voice lessons. Letting them train for something they are passionate about will help them learn many other skills that they can also use for academics. When it comes to singing lessons, kids get to:
- Improve their pronunciation and projection of words
- Boost their confidence leading to better academic performance
- Help kids become better public speakers
- Learn study and memorization skills they can transfer to academic areas
- Boost focus, attention, and brain function
Encourage a Healthy Routine
Kids need to be healthy enough to ensure they get to function properly. They require enough physical activities to burn those extra energies. They also need to be able to eat healthy meals and enjoy adequate sleep to replenish lost energy throughout the day.
Helping kids stick to a healthy routine will help them better manage their time. This will give them enough time for school, play, self-care, and socialization. All these are crucial in letting the kids live a happier and more satisfying lifestyle.
Don’t Hesitate to Offer Incentives
Kids want their parent’s approval. It does not necessarily mean you have to give them rewards for everything good thing they do. Even simple words of affirmation can be enough to motivate your kids to do their best in everything they do.
Aside from positive and encouraging words, consider spending quality time with the kids while doing the activities they enjoy doing. You can give them some privileges for certain achievements. A simple token usually works great in encouraging kids to keep up their good work.
No matter how busy you are, your kids will always need you. Your role does not end after paying for their tuition and making sure they have everything they need for school. You can do so much more for your kids that can greatly impact their performance in and outside the school.
