Once the school year gets into full swing, it can feel like a nonstop train. It goes until the winter semester. This relentless schedule can make it hard to set goals for your family and children. So why not do it ahead of time? Here are 7 tips for ways to effectively set goals and to monitor them. Establish a bedtime. It’s a well-known fact that sleep is essential to productivity and wellness. While many assume smaller children need the most sleep, studies show that teens need anywhere from 8-10 hours of sleep each night to perform at full capacity. Sit down with your child and establish a bedtime for school nights, and a bedtime for weekdays to ensure that they are firing on all cylinders in the classroom. Review past grades and set custom progress report and report card goals. In an ideal world, all children earn A’s in every class. But in reality, the grading system allows us to measure aptitudes and growth areas. Make a plan for what grades you want to see on your child’s report card, and then a plan to achieve them. Refresh study skills. One of the biggest conundrums in education is the fact that many students have never been taught how to study. One way to address this is to review a few study skills before the year begins. Many teachers assign summer reading, which is a great way to address annotating, note taking, speed-reading, color-coding and other study habits. Sometimes having a study skill memory jog can make all the difference. Practice time management. Success in school is largely tied to time management. Help to build these sorts of skills in your child by showing them how to budget their time. Perhaps buy a written planner or agenda for them to log their assignments and due dates. Or, utilize the calendars apps offered on many smart devices and emails accounts to set reminders and note appointments. By encouraging your child to take an active role in their schedule before the year begins, they will have a better chance of maintaining the habit during the semester. Ask your child to discuss their own personal goals. Your children may have an idea of what interests them academically, extracurricularly, and recreationally. Have a 30-minute sit-down where you both brainstorm activities, grades, events and goals that you want to achieve over the school year. Then build a calendar together in order to pace out your combined efforts to get there. Having your listening ear and support will do wonders for your little one. Set rewards. For each and every goal that you propose, set a reward that corresponds to it. Children respond to positive reinforcement, and having them work actively toward achieving them. This makes your expectations clear, and sets the stakes for success in a straightforward with your child. Check-In. Touch base with your student after the first week of school. The influx of class schedules friends and orientation days may have shifted their goals or put new ones on their radars. Be encouraging and open to pivoting as necessary.
It is no secret that the educational landscape of the United States is a highly varied one. Families have seemingly unlimited options to choose how they educate their children. These options include public and private schools, montessori facilities and homeschooling and more. Not to mention, every of one these institutions can be subdivided by curriculum. Some schools emphasize a science, engineering, technology and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) track, while others bolster the humanities. Some even specialize in certain disciplines à la music magnet schools or bilingual programs. Regardless of the innumerable pedagogical opportunities available, there are two academic skills that prove essential to leading a productive adult life. Multiplication Tables Upon hearing the phrase “multiplication,” for many, the first time equation that comes to mind is “two times two equals four.” Piece of cake, right? But what about nine times seven? Or twelve times eleven? If you have to pause to think about these products or even break out your iPhone calculator, fret not. You are not alone. Many adults struggle to perform fundamental multiplication, the consequence for which is often inefficiency or even financial loss. Possessing the ability to perform mental multiplication is crucial because it is constantly applicable to modern daily life. Times tables will appear in every facet of your child’s advanced academic life as “the building blocks for countless other mathematical concepts.” Your youngsters’ ability to budget and handle money will depend on their grasp of multiplication. That is to say nothing of how domestic life will fare without strong multiplying abilities (portion control and grocery shopping, anyone?). Ideally, a child should memorize all multiplication tables through twelve with near knee-jerk speed and accuracy. Parents can employ flash cards, timed minute quizzes, and recitation games in order to solidify these skills. No matter the class culture, ensuring that children are facile with their times tables will only serve them in the long run. Reading Comprehension We have all heard that reading is fundamental. However, results from Gallup polls show that as many as 25% of Americans do not read a single book a year. In fact, many non-reading adults developed this habit in childhood. But what causes this trend? Some blame technology, speculating that in this era of 140 character tweets and immediate gratification, the average attention span has decreased compared to earlier generations. This shorter attention span leads to difficulty concentrating when reading, which in turn, limits reading comprehension. Shaky reading at an early age only compounds as time passes, making for a grueling academic future come high school and college. Outside of the classroom, reading comprehensively encourages creativity, boosts empathy and could even boost IQ by six points! Research suggests that reading can teach a whole host of invaluable life skills that can significantly alter the course of your child’s future for the better. Who could say no to that? So, the next time your child whips out a calculator or passes on Dr. Seuss in favor of Doc McStuffins, consider encouraging them to rely on their brain power instead of their gadgets.
