Academic Support

  • To help promote academic success for our students, it is really important that we all work together – students, parents, teachers, and counselors. Here are some tips for parents to help our students be more successful in school!

    • Provide a quiet place to study. Encourage your child to develop good routines around homework – starting around the same time each night, working for a set amount of time on a consistent basis, working in a comfortable, quiet, well-lit part of the house, etc. If your child is older and has a phone or other electronics, make sure they keep them out of sight when doing school work!
    • Make sure your child attends school every day. This is one of the most crucial components to success in school. When students miss class, they miss instruction, notes, class discussions, class work, assignments, quizzes and tests. No matter how conscientious students are, they can never make up what they miss in class. If you see a pattern develop of your child missing school, talk to your child’s counselor.
    • Help set reasonable academic goals for your child – have your child take part in this process, too, to further their investment in their success. Setting goals will help your child understand what your expectations are and will give your child something to work towards.
    • Attend all parent programs – especially the parent orientation evenings and open house.
    • Use rewards and consequences that are meaningful for your child. Consequences are most effective when they are reasonable and logical. Make it a point to celebrate and recognize your child’s success in school – even gradual improvements like higher grades on HW assignments. Eventually, learning itself will become the reward!
    • Encourage a healthy lifestyle. It is crucially important for children in school to get enough exercise, to eat right and to get enough sleep. The Center for Disease Control recommends that children 6-12 get 9-12 hours of sleep a night, and that adolescents aged 13-18 get 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
    • Help your child improve his/her organizational skills. This is especially important in junior high school. The more teachers and classes your child has each day, the more complicated staying organized becomes, but this is a good skill for all students to develop. When students are better organized, they get better grades, are less frustrated, and have more time to spend with family and friends.
      • Make yourself familiar with Google Classroom, if your child’s teacher uses it. At the junior and senior high school levels, most teachers utilize this platform. Teachers post notes, review guides for tests and quizzes, homework and class work assignments, videos and quizlets. There is a “to-do” tab that lists nightly homework assignments and missing work - along with due dates, a calendar that lists assignments and upcoming tests, and individual classroom pages that contain all kinds of useful information. It is helpful if students get in the habit of looking at two of these resources to make sure they don’t overlook any important work. If your child’s teacher does not use Google Classroom (if your child is in the earlier grades, for example), ask him/her what organizational system students are encouraged to use.
      • If your child’s teacher recommends a folder or binder for a class, make sure that your child has one labeled for that class. Help your child set up a separate filing system for graded and returned work so that it doesn’t accumulate in one folder. Remind your child to put all papers (handouts, assignments, etc) in the correct folders. Encourage your child to clean out his or her backpack at least once a week!
      • Help your child prioritize what homework to do first.
      • Large assignments or projects can seem overwhelming or intimidating. Sometimes, students can get stuck or aren’t sure how to begin. Show your child how to break down large assignments into smaller, more manageable parts. Teachers often share ideas for this, too, so check for the assignment in Google Classroom for suggestions from the teacher.
      • Have your child get everything ready for school the next day before he or she goes to bed.
    • Help your child with time management. In order to be able to balance all aspects of their lives – school, athletics, family responsibilities – students need to be planful and manage their time effectively. A rule of thumb is that students should work for at least 10 minutes per grade level. Therefore, a 6th grade student should plan on approximately 60 minutes of homework a night, give or take. This time doesn’t have to be just spent completing homework – it can also include things like reading, reviewing vocabulary words, studying for a test, organizing their materials, looking over their notes from class, etc. For many students, it’s helpful to take a break after getting home and before beginning their work for the evening. Other students prefer to get started on their work. Help your child figure out what works best for them. Sometimes it’s helpful to break the homework time up a little – work for 20 minutes, take a break, and then work for another 20 minutes. Show your child how to use a timer to make sure the breaks don’t go on too long!
    • Stress the importance of studying for tests and quizzes. It is very important for students to learn how to study correctly for tests and quizzes. Many students do not study enough for these and it can really hurt their grades. In junior and senior high school, tests can account for 80% of a student’s grade. The first step is to know when tests are going to be given. Encourage your child to mark the date on a calendar and then figure out how much time he or she needs to prepare for the test. Usually, our brains need more than one or two nights to absorb the information. Our brains work best when we can study for smaller periods of time over a number of sessions – so studying 20 minutes a night for 4 nights is better than cramming two hours of studying into a single evening. Encourage your child to use the first night to read through his or her notes, study challenging vocabulary words – it can be helpful to know what the teacher is going to test students on, so carefully checking any review guides the teacher hands out or posts online is important. One of the most important things in studying is to have someone quiz you, or to quiz yourself (using flashcards or quizlet). This is the best way for students to figure out what they know versus the information they aren’t so sure about. It can help students to focus their energy and time on things they don’t know as well, and gives them a chance to ask the teacher for help.
    • Make homework your child’s responsibility. This is especially true for older students, preparing to enter junior high school and above. It’s easy to become frustrated and upset as a parent if your child is not taking this responsibility seriously. Sometimes, students see their parent’s involvement as nagging and it can lead to conflicts. If your child is not completing his or her homework, first make sure that the work is generally not too difficult for him or her. Reach out to your child’s teacher to see what’s happening in class and contact your child’s counselor next. Often, a mixture of rewards and consequences can be helpful, as well as some of the other tips on this page. Consistency is the key to success – in the message you deliver to your child and in your follow-through.
    • Encourage involvement in school activities. Studies show that students who are more active in extracurricular activities tend to do better academically. When students participate in these activities, they make new friends, learn new skills, and have fun.
    • Encourage independent problem solving. Learning how to advocate for themselves can be very empowering for children. Pointing your child in the right direction and encouraging them to advocate for themselves at school can boost their confidence and help students to become more independent. Encourage your child to look through his or her notes and use the resources that the teachers have provided if he or she gets stuck.
    • Point your child in the right direction if he or she needs academic support. If your child is struggling with a particular assignment or activity, encourage them to see their teacher to get extra help. If students are reluctant to ask for help in class, they might feel more comfortable emailing their teacher.
    • Stay in contact with your child’s teacher. The teacher will be able to give you specific feedback about your son’s or daughter’s progress and will be able to give you individualized advice for supporting your child (with his or her specific learning needs) in that particular classroom.

    Some material taken from "Middle School/Junior High Parent Guidebook," published by Woodburn Press.