Children are malleable, learn much more easily and are strongly influenced by everything around them. To ensure healthy development, both in children and adolescents, close monitoring by parents is essential, including in school life.
Many parents end up having the wrong idea that the school is solely responsible for their children’s academic development. In fact, this process depends on several other factors, and the attention that parents give to their children is crucial to making learning better and healthier.
Why is it important to closely monitor your children’s school life?
Children do not live in isolated worlds. In other words, home, school, classes, clubs, all the places they frequent are part of the same universe, and it is common and healthy for them to want to learn from one to the other.
Especially at home, by allowing children to share and apply what they have learned, parents open up this connection and encourage their children to put their knowledge into practice.
Also, think about how good it feels when someone shows interest in something that took a lot of effort from you — that’s exactly how a child feels when they realize that their parents, the people most important to them, are interested in seeing their work.
Parental monitoring and encouragement, providing the necessary support and investing in other activities outside of school, also accelerates the child’s cognitive and motor development.
These are just some of the reasons why it is so important for parents to be truly present in their children’s development. Now, check out some actions you can put into practice!
How to follow your children’s school life?
Busy routines and lack of time are often the main arguments used by parents to justify distance learning for their children. Secondly, there is the claim of lack of pedagogical knowledge, with the belief that professional educators are more qualified.
In fact, educators are prepared to deal with the demands of children, but this does not eliminate the need for parental involvement. Furthermore, participating in your child’s school life can be much easier and require much less time than we imagine.
Some activities really do require dedication of time, but they are not something that cannot fit into your routine. Others can be put into practice at home, at the end of the day or during leisure time. Check out some practices that help ensure improvements in the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of children!
Engage with the lessons
Homework is a time when children remember and practice what they learned at school. Parental involvement in this situation is important for two main reasons: to support the child, helping them with difficulties; and to check on their child’s academic development.
By helping with homework, parents can notice, for example, if the child has any difficulty with reading or calculations, which could be an indication of a more serious problem.
If the child asks for help, simply show concern and encourage him or her to keep asking. If, on the other hand, the child does not like to ask for help, it is up to the parents to show availability, asking about school and homework and offering to help.
A good tip is to agree on a fixed time for homework with your child. This way, you create a routine that makes it easier for parents to organize their time and helps your child to feel confident that they will always have time set aside for themselves.
Attend parent meetings
Parent meetings are a time created by the school specifically to discuss the education of children. They usually discuss the child’s behavior and academic performance.
If parents know how to take advantage of them, these meetings can be much more than just a time to find out their children’s grades. It is an excellent opportunity to talk to teachers, pedagogues and other school staff to understand the reasons for the child’s bad behavior or difficulties, if any.
They are also a good time to learn more about the school’s activities and environment, understand the methodologies used and the child’s routine in the classroom.
Think about extracurricular activities
As we know, learning does not only occur in an academic setting. In fact, kids seem to grasp a lot especially during their early childhood years.
Extracurricular activities come in handy to tap into all this potential, motivate the acquisition of other skills, and spark the child’s interest in things they will later on cherish all their life.
Interestingly, one of the things that will benefit a child now and in the future will be investing in technology acquisition courses. These are programs that are in line with the needs of the 21st century, while at the same time, stirring interest and aiding in the child’s mental growth.
Recognize and appreciate child’s success
A good mark after a test, a sticker for excellence in homework, commendation from a teacher: Parents must learn how to appreciate their children’s achievements so that their kids have the motivation to put more effort whenever. It is important to clarify that it is not about there promising something great, rather about demonstrating the child the importance of every action he takes.
Here are some important skills that you need to adopt in order to get actively involved with your children’s educational institution. Parents are needed to be present, this applies to the school and the children.