Your child is naturally curious and eager to learn. By making school and homework as pressure-free as possible, you can help protect him from stress and boost his academic achievement.
- Show enthusiasm for your child's interests and encourage her to explore subjects that fascinate her. If she's a horse nut, offer her stories about riding or challenge her to find five facts about horses in the encyclopedia.
- Ask about what he's learning, not his grades or test scores. Ask him to teach you what he learned in school today.
- Help her organize school papers and assignments so she feels in control of her work
- Build his sense of responsibility by allowing him to choose extracurricular activities, assigning him chores, and asking his input on family decisions.
- Ensure that she has plenty of time for unstructured play.
- Celebrate his achievements, no matter how small. Completing a book report calls for a special treat or finishing a book allows him an hour of TV.
- Focus on his strengths, encouraging him to develop his talents. Even if he didn't ace his math test, he may have written a good poem in English class or improved his spelling score. Besides offering him a math workbook or computer program for practice, give him a writing journal.
- Check in with your child regularly to make sure she's not feeling overloaded. If she is, help her prioritize her work.
