Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) School Ideas for Harried

Experts agree: no matter how much or how little time parents spend with their children, they are the most important influence in their children's fives... more important than teachers, preachers, peers, or rock stars. This means that parents, whether they know it or not, wield a powerful influence on how much their children benefit from school. And whether or not students get adequate jobs in the future can very well depend upon how much they leam in school today.

Kids who believe that their parents care about their learning progress generally do better in school than students who believe their parents do not care.

ALL parents can do a lot to help their kids achieve in school, according to members of the National Education Association (NEA), the men and women who work with America's children in classrooms every day. That includes parents who suffer from what experts call "time poverty" --lack of time to spend with their kids.

NEA members advise such parents to concentrate on putting what little time they have with their children to the best possible use. AAT time spent with children can help them leam more.

What about parents who are new to the English language, or who did not complete American schools themselves? NEA members advise them not to worry--all parents can help their children learn.

According to NEA members, here's how you can help your children get the most out of school --no matter if you work full time or stay home, if you are single or have a partner, if you never completed school or have a Ph.D., or if you know English well or not:

Praise effort. The effort children put into their studies is more important than the grades they get, and a better indicator of how much they are learning. Encourage your children to do their schoolwork diligently, and praise them for doing it. High grades are something to be proud of, but as long as your children are completing their work, don't show them your disappointment if they don't get top marks. This could make them feel bad about themselves, which could lead to poorer academic performance.

Make a space for studying. Set aside a work space for your children that's theirs alone, even if it's just a comer of a table.

Establish a routine. Make sure your children go to bed at night and rise in the morning at regular hours. Set aside a regular period of time each day for your children to study and to do their homework, whether or not you or can be at home at that time. Make sure the television is off, and that the children are not distracted. Make sure whoever is taking care of the children--even if it's not in your home--enforces the study time. Or, you can phone the children to make sure they're studying. Tip: praise them for doing their work.

Ask about school. As often as you can, ask your kids about what they did at school that day. Don't take "nothing" for an answer. Tip: the more specific your questions, the better chance you have of getting an answer. For example, instead of asking "How did it go today," ask: "Who did you talk to today?" "What was the nicest thing that happened?" "What was the least nice?"

Ask for your children's opinions. More and more, schools are emphasizing "thinking skills." Asking your children their opinions about issues of the day, or asking for their suggestions about household decisions, helps them develop these skills.

Ask your children to teach you. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to try to explain it to someone else. If you want to help your kids with their homework, but don't understand it, say so. Ask them to explain it to you.

Encourage your children to study with others. Children often learn more when working in groups and sharing knowledge. Try to arrange study groups between your youngsters and their friends.

Use homework hotlines. Many schools have phone numbers to call to get help with homework.

Talk to teachers. If you don't have time to visit school, phone your youngsters' teachers and leave a message. They'll call back. Ask what your children are doing right, so you can praise them, and ask for suggestions about helping your children do better.

When you can, read aloud to your kids. Experts agree that this builds love of learning no matter what language you read.

We know that children do a better job in school when parents are interested and supportive. That's why we are providing these suggestions to help you become more involved in your child's learning. This site will grow and grow as we add more and more suggestions to help you make this school year, and each one after this, the best ever for your children.

While our dedication to providing the best education for your children is important, they most importantly need to know that you care about how they perform at school. This means getting involved in as many, if not all, of your children's activities, and taking the time to let your children know you care about their growth and development.

Positive attitudes toward learning begin at home. When you encourage those attitudes, your children will get the most out of what we give them at school.

Parents and educators...the more we work together, the greater the benefit to the children.