Counselor's Corner     

School Success:  Here are 10 ways to help your child be successful at school.  

1. Take attendance seriously.  Plan trips and appointments after school hours or on weekends or school breaks.  

2. Do not talk negatively about your child's teacher or school. Staying positive and respectful will help your child do the same.  

3. Encourage your child to read…..every night. Set aside 10-20 min every night for your child to read, look at books, or read a story to you to help practice these important skills.  .  

4. Create a routine.  Have a Monday- Thursday afterschool, homework, dinner and bedtime routine.  Establishing these early on will help ensure your child is ready to learn each day.  

5. Help your child get organized. Teaching your child to be organized can help them feel more relaxed, accomplish more, and be more successful overall.   

6. Get excited about what your child is learning or doing at school.  Excitement is contagious, help your child become excited about learning, by modeling the excitement for them.  

7. Teach children to be responsible for their actions and their schoolwork. Let kids make mistakes and learn from those opportunities.  Helping them to be responsible for their school work will help them become independent learners and build confidence and character.  

8. Ask your children about school and encourage them to talk about their day. Try asking open-ended questions like, “Tell me about something fun that happened at school today.”  Or, “Tell me something that was challenging about your day.”  Getting kids in the habit of talking about their day now will pay off dividends when they are older.  

9. Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep and is ready for school each day.  In an open ended response, the most common emotion kids reported was feeling tired or sleepy (58%).  Help your child understand the significant impact lack of sleep has on both learning and emotional regulation is invaluable. Honor your child's sleep needs.  Kids need significantly more sleep than adults.  Speak with your child's pediatrician if you have concerns.   

10. Get involved.  Try making a commitment to be on site at your child's school at least once a year.  Whether you have time for a major role , such as those in PTA or as room parent, being physically present allows you to see what your child sees everyday and makes it easy to ask questions and connect with your child.  Even just reading a story once a year in your child's class can make a big difference.  

11. Bonus tip……Always contact your child’s teacher or school counselor with any questions or concerns.