Educational Highlights – Fall 1993
Annette Spector, M.S., Ed.

Getting children off to a good start in September is vital for a successful school year. As the end of summer approaches, children experience a multitude of feelings about their return to school, including anxiety, excitement and curiosity, There is always an element of confusion, as well, especially as children are dealing with a wide range of extracurricular activities, home responsibilities and part-time jobs, as well as academics.

It is extremely helpful to sit down with your child(ren) before school starts to discuss your expectations, as well as plans for balancing academic work with other activities.

Talk About Course Load and Subjects

Review your child’s schedule. Ask his opinion as to which subjects will be more difficult, which easier. Discuss relative, strengths, weaknesses, and the effort required to meet his, and your, expectations for academic success.

Teacher Personalities

Often students will fault the teacher for problems in school. Although personality clashes are a reality, and probably will occur at some time during the course of your child’s education, it is a poor excuse for failure to perform up to potential. Children, of course, perform better when they have established a good rapport with their teacher, and every effort should be made to accomplish this. If you sense that a teacher doesn’t understand your child, be sure to communicate on a regular basis until the issue is resolved.

Discuss with your child the fact that he is the ‘master of his own fate’, and that though he might not like a teacher, your expectations that he work up to his potential remain.

Setting Priorities

This is probably one of the most important issues to discuss as the school year is about to begin. Listen carefully to what your child feels are his priorities, and be sure to communicate your priorities very clearly. With a give-and-take discussion, a compromise should be reached. This should help avoid arguments during the week about skipping a music lesson because of a test, or not studying for a test because of a sports practice. Remember that priorities will change as the year goes on, and monthly discussions to reevaluate the situation. discuss excessive pressures, and reset priorities are a good idea.

Homework, Study and Organizational Skills

A key parental responsibility in terms of school success is helping children establish consistent routines for homework completion and studying. Teaching children organizational skills assists them in keeping track of papers and books, and reduces the chances of losing important assignments, papers and reports.

• Does immediately after school, before dinner or after dinner work best in your family? Whichever, establish consistent rules, such as no T.V. or video games until homework is done, and try not to negotiate or fall back on your word.
• Be available to assist your child with typing, getting materials or books, but don’t agree to help at the ‘last minute’. Assure your child that you are willing to help in a reasonable time period (several days or more before an assignment is due), but that you’ll feel too pressured the night before it is due.
• Help your child develop a filing system at home, with different color file folders for each subject, to store papers.
• Establish a clear-cut system of rewards and consequences for work completion before school starts.
• Make sure your child’s room or study area in the house is set up with needed supplies (scissors, markers, pencils, paper, etc.)

Remember, getting off to a good start requires parental involvement and guidance, with frequent family discussions and good home-school communication. Children definitely feel a sense of security when they know their parents are providing the framework and structure for their academic and extracurricular activities.