Raising an academically successful child DOES NOT MEAN prepping a child in infancy to win a Nobel prize later on in life. It means that the child participates positively and actively while at school and continues to show improvement to the best of his or her ability.
Having students reach their academic potential is not reliant on the education system alone. There are many qualities teachers see in their students that come from their home and family environments. Listed below are the 10 things, according to my 20 years of teaching experience and 24 years of parenting experience, that parents do to ensure the academic success of their children.
1. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Read to Them or With Them on a Daily Basis…
There are many reasons why pediatricians, educators, and language specialists insist on parents establishing a daily reading routine – right from birth. Not only does it foster a sense of closeness between parent and child, it also opens the door to language acquisition, imagination, creativity, and numerous other skills that are essential both inside and outside of the classroom.
2. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Teach Them That Competition is Healthy…
Competing against others is a fact of life. While childrens’ sporting events and many classrooms subscribe to the “every child gets a trophy” mentality, we all know that the outside world doesn’t function that way. When it comes to entry into private prep schools, elite competitive sports, scholarships, opportunities for employment and promotions, not every person gets what he/ she wants all the time. Parents who teach their children to strive to be their best while showing them how to be good winners (and even better losers) makes for students who take their successes and struggles inside the classroom in stride. They see competition as a motivation to push themselves to be better – not as a reason to give up and pout.
3. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Show Them That the World Does Not Revolve Around Them…
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when our children need to feel like they are the centre of the universe. That being said, children also need to be taught that the world does not revolve around them 24/7. The attention and love a parent can gives to one child at home does not translate the same way when a child enters a classroom of 25 other people. Children who are academically successful understand the importance of patience, empathy, tolerance, and humility. They are able to pick up on group social cues that allow them to be successful learners and productive members of a classroom community – a community where the needs of the group are far more diverse, challenging and numerous.
4. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Teach Them That Perfection Does Not Exist…
Children are adults in training… just like students are graduates in training. Students who have a realistic grasp of so-called “perfectionism” have been taught that every action they take, regardless of how difficult it might be, takes them one step closer to being smarter thinkers in the future. These students persevere when the going gets tough. They apply different strategies to help them understand a difficult concept. They show pride in their work because off the effort it took to complete it and they triumph in their individual progression.
5. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Teach Them How to Be Responsible…
Students who are taught how to be responsible at home, whether it is helping out with chores, walking the family dog, or learning how to save money, automatically transition that sense of responsibility into their life at school. Teachers see this daily when students keep track of their school supplies, when they admit they have done something wrong, and when they study for exams and evaluations. Responsible students understand the importance of their education and take all the necessary steps to ensure they do well.
6. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents That Show Them How to Deal With Their Emotions…
School can be a very overwhelming place for many students and academically successful students are able to implement coping strategies that have been modelled and reinforced by their parents. From dealing with frustration, boredom, fatigue, and a plethora of feelings, students whose parents continually acknowledge the emotions of their children and provide them with coping skills have a greater academic advantage. They are able to deal with stressful situations in order to efficiently and positively continue on their academic journey.
7. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents That Emphasize the Importance of Education…
The most important influence in a child’s life is his/ her parents. Therefore, the attitude that parents have about education, the child’s school, and his/ her teachers is the utmost important. When a child knows that his/her parents value education and have reasonable expectations in respect to academic performance, the child works as hard as possible in order to meet, and in many cases, surpass those expectations. Education is seen not only as “work” or “school” but as a journey to personal growth and personal empowerment.
8. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents that Don’t Let Them Give Up…
Getting an education is not easy. There is a lot of practice, repetition, and memorization that goes along with learning how to read, write, and do arithmetic (among all the other things students today need to learn). There are also a lot of expectations that are put upon the shoulders of children in order to successfully meet curriculum expectations. Academically successful kids have parents who don’t allow them to quit and who hold their children accountable for their success. They are the parents that check the agendas each night to make sure that assignments are completed on time. They are the parents that make sure to review arithmetic facts until they are memorized. They are the parents who calmly deal with meltdowns, excuses, and procrastination when it comes time to do homework. They are the ones that don’t let a child just give up and quit in order to avoid a tantrum. They are the parents who put in the work now so that their children will be successful in the future.
9. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents Who Foster Independence…
Kids need their parents to structure their environment. Without it, children could possibly be dealing with situations that they are not developmentally ready for. That being said, there is a big difference between parents who structure their children and those who “helicopter”. Academically successful students have been exposed to situations where they had to rely on their own trials and errors to solve problems. They were given opportunities to explore reasonable risks without the fear of being chastised or scolded by their parents. Children with helicopter parents usually do not get to experience these very important life skills until they arrive in school. Unfortunately, these students are afraid to try new and difficult tasks on their own because they have always had someone “swoop” in and do the problem solving for them. Their resilience is underdeveloped and they become dependent on the approval of their teachers for every aspect of their learning.
10. Academically Successful Kids Have Parents That Have Realistic Expectations…
Academically successful students have parents who are realistic about the abilities of their children. As I noted in the beginning of this post, I consider a child to be successful at school when they meet the expectations laid out for him/ her according to program he/she follows. This also includes students who follow an IEP. When a parent fully understands the true academic potential of their child, the child flourishes. When expectations for education are clear and attainable, wonderful progress can be made.
The real education of children starts at home. Parents are the single most important influences in the lives of their children.
Is there something that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great day!
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