How to Help Your Child Be Successful in School
Many times, the underlying cause of a child's academic performance can be traced back to simple, basic needs that we as educators and parents may often overlook. In order to help your child succeed, there are many small habits and routines that you can put in place to optimize your child's learning and make the experience as easy as possible.
While I by no means consider myself to be an expert in these areas, I do consider myself a resource and member of our parent-teacher team who is working toward providing the best possible educational experience for your child. Please feel free to use the information below to assist you in gathering knowledge about best practices for your child.
While I by no means consider myself to be an expert in these areas, I do consider myself a resource and member of our parent-teacher team who is working toward providing the best possible educational experience for your child. Please feel free to use the information below to assist you in gathering knowledge about best practices for your child.
Sleep
Sleep is an important part of your child's physical and mental well-being. The ideal and recommended amount of sleep for your elementary-aged child to receive each evening is 10 hours. Kids that get a good night of sleep remember things better, and retain information for a longer period of time. Each day, your child's brain is working like an email draft. Throughout the day, he/she is constantly taking in information and adding it to their draft. It is not until your child goes home to sleep at night that this information is actually processed and stored. The last two hours of your child's sleep is equivalent to hitting the "send" button on the email. During this time, your child's brain processes and stores the information. If children or adults are not reaching the recommended number of hours for sleep each evening, this can result in many implications that impact your child's health and performance at school. Such results include:
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Water
Keeping your brain and body hydrated is important to the learning process. For this reason, students are allowed to bring a water bottle into the classroom to keep on their desk throughout the day. In return, I will ask that the students take their water bottle home each evening to wash, clean, and refill it for the next day. This is a priviledge for students and can be revoked on an individual basis if the student's water bottle begins to disrupt his/her learning. |
Breakfast and Diet
The food that your child puts into his/her body can make a big impact on his/her learning for the day. Breakfast can be the most important meal of the day for your child. The brain is the only organ in our bodies that does not store energy. Eating a properly balanced breakfast can help your child to start off the day on the right foot and give them the energy and nourishment to learn best. Additionally, food choices made throughout the rest of the day impact learning as well. Feel free to browse the resources that I have included below for more information about the importance of proper nutrition. |
Exercise
Movement and exercise promote learning! Help your child to learn by providing them with fun opportunities to get up and move around in the evenings. There are numerous benefits to exercise, both mentally and physically.
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Relaxation
Stress can have very damaging affects on the brain and student learning. it takes only 10 minutes of stress in one day for learning to start being impacted. It seems as though adults should be the only people who are stressed, but we are seeing increasing numbers of chidren who are experiencing stressful thoughts and emotions. Help your child to NOT be stressed! There is never a time that I want any of my students to feel stressed about their school work. Provide opportunities for your child to relax each evening. If you find that homework is becoming frustrating, stop your child and write me a note on the page. Enjoy time together as a family. |
Structure & Routine
Having a structure or routine at home can benefit your child. Determining a set time to complete homework each evening, eat dinner each night, or spend time relaxing will give your child an idea of what is expected each evening at home. Structuring time can also help your child learn to manage their time effectively. Just like you like knowing what to expect from your workplace, day, or home, so does your child. |