Parents & Families

College Prep from Infancy through High School

Support reading: Reading helps develop vocabulary.

• Talk to your child, from the time he or she is an infant.

• Point out words on signs to preschoolers.

• Spend 20 minutes a day reading to your child, or having your child read to you.

  • Older students should read on their own daily, but often still enjoy listening to adults read.

  • For variety, visit a public library for books and magazines or buy a newspaper.

Remember intelligence is not fixed: Effort and persistence when facing challenges are important characteristics of a successful student.

• Tell your child, “smart is not what you are; smart is what you work to become.”

• Praise your child’s efforts, not just success; say things such as: “I like how you kept at that math assignment, even though it was hard.”

Help your child set goals: Setting goals is good practice, and achieving goals creates motivation.

• Help your student set and achieve SMART goals about behavior, time management, or school:

  • • Specific

    • Measurable

    • Attainable

    • Relevant

    • Timely

Establish a set time for homework every night:

• Turn off TVs and cell phones and eliminate other distractions.

• Help your child check his/her homework to be sure it is done correctly.

Stay connected with school:

• Attend parent-teacher conferences and use your school’s information system to stay informed about your child’s progress and grades.

• If you have questions, contact your student’s teacher.

• Encourage your child to use a planner or binder and review it each night to know the upcoming assignments.

• Ask teachers or school counselors if your child is taking classes that will prepare him or her for college, and if your child’s test scores indicate that he or she will be ready for college.

Encourage your child to seek help: Learning when and how to get assistance is an important skill for college and life. It is better to get help early before a problem gets worse.

• If you think your child needs extra help, ask a teacher or counselor about tutoring or other assistance available at the school.

Start saving for college: There are many ways to make college affordable. Even the smallest savings add up if set aside regularly over a long period of time.

• Explore setting up a Minnesota College Savings Plan and other savings ideas at www.mnsaves.org.

• Complete a sample FAFSA (financial aid) form to get an estimate of the financial aid your child might receive. You can find one at studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/estimate or www.getreadyforcollege.org/ Estimator/firstQuestions.cfm.

• Social security numbers are not required to attend college, although they are required for all government financial aid.