For Parents

Teacher’s Tips: How Parents Can Help

Top 5 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed in School

  1. Make sure your child is at school every day possible. “Missed work is generally more of a loss than made-up work is a gain,” Parks says. “There is no substitute for attendance.”
  2. Designate a time and place for your child to do homework. If he does not have homework, have him use the time to read. “Routine is the essence of a child’s life,” he says.
  3. Keep in touch with teachers, but don’t overdo it. “Most teachers appreciate parents caring enough to keep in touch a few times a term but do not appreciate parents expecting contact on a regular basis.”
  4. Teach your child character—it “will improve social and academic skills more than anything else,” Parks says. “Some things are simply wrong, and the world your child will grow up in will punish crimes, so give your child a head start.”
  5. Make time every day to talk with your child about the day’s activities. “Let them know you care, and really listen to what they have to say.” – from www.schoolfamily.com

Parents Guide from the National PTA

The Parents’ Guide to Student Success (listed below in English and Spanish) was developed in response to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics that more than 45 states have adopted.  Created by teachers, parents, education experts, and others from across the country, the standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in order to be prepared for college and career.

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National PTA® created the guides for grades K-8 and two for grades 9-12 (one for English language arts/literacy and one for mathematics).

The Guide includes:

  • Key items that children should be learning in English language arts and mathematics in each grade, once the standards are fully implemented.
  • Activities that parents can do at home to support their child’s learning.
  • Methods for helping parents build stronger relationships with their child’s teacher.
  • Tips for planning for college and career (high school only).

PTAs can play a pivotal role in how the standards are put in place at the state and district levels. PTA® leaders are encouraged to meet with their school, district, and/or state administrators to discuss their plans to implement the standards and how their PTA can support that work. The goal is that PTAs and education administrators will collaborate on how to share the guides with all of the parents and caregivers in their states or communities, once the standards are fully implemented.

Parent Guides

Two-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Color)
Color versions of the two-page Parent Guides

Four-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Black and white)
Black and white versions of the four-page Parent Guides

Four-page Parents’ Guides to Student Success (Color)
Color versions of the four-page Parent Guides

Additional Resources

Parents’ Guide to Student Success—Frequently Asked Questions
PDF

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