Five Best Ways to Encourage Your Child's Education

Are you wondering what you can actually do to help your child succeed in school and support and encourage his or her education? Some ideas may seem obvious, but you might not know all the ways you can encourage your child's education in addition to helping with homework. Here are the five best ways to encourage your child's education:

1. Build relationships with teachers, administrators and school personnel-It is important to make sure that you are known and that you know who is teaching your child. Taking the time to get to know the teachers and other school personnel (music teacher, physical education, librarian, etc.), even if you cannot volunteer, is one of the best and most effective ways to support your child's education. It goes beyond just attending scheduled conferences. By knowing who the "players" are in your child's school world, you'll be showing your child you are interested and involved and you'll be able to work together as a team with the school personnel.

2. Make sure your child is healthy-Good nutrition, plenty of rest, regular trips to the doctor and dentist (including having eye sight and hearing tested regularly) all make a huge difference in making sure a child is ready, willing and able to learn in school. A child with poor eye sight may exhibit some of the same behaviors as one who has a learning disability or may be disrupting class because she is unable to stay attentive due to her visual impairment. Paying attention to your child's health care needs make it possible for him to pay attention in school.

3. Display and model a love of learning and appreciation for education-Parents who value education and learning tend to have children who feel the same way. By making it clear that you not only want your child to get an education, but that you maintain an interest in keeping yourself constantly learning and improving your own education, your child will absorb the importance of the family value. Refrain from denigrating your child's school or teacher and show that you respect educators and the process of education.