september 28, 2026

Teens are more likely to stay in school when families are engaged

Your involvement in your teen’s education is always important. But if you feel your teen is at risk for dropping out, your involvement goes from being important to being essential. Now is the time to take action.

Here are some ways to play an effective part in preventing dropout problems:

Stay in touch with your teen’s teachers. Let them know about your concerns.
Participate school events for families. This is especially important if your teen has a part in the event. It shows you think your teen's education is important.
Create a home that is set up for learning. Help your teen find a quiet, comfortable place to study. Encourage regular study hours.
Make it clear you expect your teen's very best work. (Remember, your student's best may be different from the best of a sibling or friend.) Offer praise for effort and progress, not just for results.
Encourage your teen to meet with teachers if schoolwork is confusing. Your teen can ask for clarification, and about resources that could help with understanding the material.

Here’s what happens when families stay involved:

Student dropout rates go down.
Student achievement tends to rise.
Student attendance improves.
Students complete more schoolwork.
Student attitudes and behavior improve.

share memory boosters with your kids

Students use memory in two ways to learn: first, to absorb the material, and second, to recall it on demand—during a test, for example. Several strategies can help your teen improve both of these aspects of memory.

When there is memorizing to do, encourage your teen to:

Verify understanding. Can your teen use that formula to solve a sample problem, or use that vocabulary word in a sentence? It's easier for students to memorize something they understand.
Get surrounded by the material. A teen who is studying a particular period of history, for example, can look for related books, movies and songs about that era to enjoy.
Set the material to music. Your teen can make up a rhyme or set the names, dates and facts to the rhythm of a popular song. Singing the song can help your student recall the facts later.
Make a mental image. To remember the branches of government, for example, your teen could imagine a pie divided into three pieces, with executive, judicial and legislative written on them in frosting.
Explain the material to someone else. Have your teen tell you about the topic. Teaching someone else is one of the best ways to learn!

encourage study skills that support self-direction

In middle and high school, students work more independently than when they were younger. Strong study skills are the tools that enable them to take charge of their own learning.

The best way your teen can sharpen study skills is to practice them every day. Encourage your student to:

Read ahead. By scanning the next chapter or lesson ahead of time, your teen will be better prepared for the next class meeting. Your teen will know what questions to ask and will be able to participate more.
Review class notes. Even when there is no assignment due the next day, your teen should study class notes each day. It is a quick way to reinforce recently learned material.
Minimize distractions. Have your teen get a snack before settling down to study and turn off devices that aren't necessary to complete work.
Ask for help. If your teen is confused about the details of an assignment, suggest asking a classmate. If your student is struggling with a concept, recommend talking to the teacher the next day to ask for help.
Celebrate success. Remind your teen that dedication was the key to getting there.

to solve problems, Don't ask, don't tell

The older teens get, the less their families are able to tell them what to do. Use problem-solving techniques to help your teen figure out what to do instead.

Here are some guidelines:

Limit a problem-solving session to one issue. If you’re concerned about the amount of time your teen is spending playing on a phone, for example, stick to that topic. Do not look at problem-solving sessions as an opportunity to bring up the past or to mention everything your teen has done that bothers you. That will lead only to arguments, not solutions.
Never accuse. Instead, explain your concerns. “I understand that it’s important for you to unwind after class. But I worry when you spend so much time scrolling and playing games on your phone that you don’t finish your schoolwork until midnight. It’s hard for me to see you so exhausted when you have to get up for school the next day.”
Ask for your teen’s ideas. “How can you change your schedule so you can finish your homework by 10:30?”

encourage self-direction during free time

Your teen is at home in the afternoons, but you are at work. It's important to keep track of what your student is doing—the late afternoon is the time when teens are most likely to get into trouble. But that doesn’t mean you have to plan your teen's every move.

Once assignments and chores are finished, your teen should be able to choose among healthy activities. But you can offer some suggestions. Encourage your teen to:

Read for pleasure. Graphic novels and pop culture articles count as reading!
Write. Your teen could keep a journal or blog, or write a note to a friend or relative who lives out of town.
Get some exercise. Walking and bike riding are excellent choices. Regular strength training is also important for health.
Use time wisely. Help your teen limit recreational screen use, for example. Encourage your teen to turn off digital devices when not using them for schoolwork or to keep up with friends.
Volunteer. Could your teen shop for an elderly neighbor or make phone calls to raise awareness for a cause? Help find a volunteer opportunity that matches your teen's interests.
Develop a hobby. Suggest drawing or painting, starting a collection or learning to play a musical instrument.

help your teen handle life challenges

Many students' lives are complicated and often challenging. And when you add that to the normal changes adolescents go through, it's not surprising that some teens may be feeling overwhelmed by emotions. Their conflicting thoughts and feelings about what’s going on in their lives can make it difficult for them to focus on schoolwork and other important activities.

The following sentences can help both teens and adults clarify their feelings. In a private moment, ask your teen to consider one or more of the following prompts and fill in the blanks:

I feel good when I [blank].
It hurts me when [blank].
I find it hard to [blank].
I’m proud of my [blank].
A good decision I made this week was [blank].
I feel sad when [blank].
I feel scared when [blank].
I feel frustrated when [blank].
I feel loved when [blank].
I feel left out when [blank].
I get angry when [blank].
What I most want to tell you is [blank].
I’m worried that [blank].
My biggest gripe about school is [blank].
My biggest gripe about my friends is [blank].
My one wish is [blank].
My biggest goal is[blank].
My strongest feeling about my brother or sister is [blank].
I wish grown-ups wouldn’t [blank].
The last time I cried was [blank].
If I could be doing anything else today, it would be [blank].

Just having the opportunity to talk about these topics can help teens deal with their feelings.

Brought to you by:

Gwinnett County Public Schools

Page updated

Report abuse