3 More Things You Can Do to Improve Your Children's Grades

In a previous post I emphasized the importance of being firm, yet encouraging, communicating effectively, and letting the children play as an important parenting style in helping your children to improve their grades. 

Now, here are 3 more things you can do:

1. Praise your children. Low-key support, such as praise and encouragement, works better than material rewards or big, exaggerated emotional responses. Creating rewards and punishments is not effective because children become more concerned with them than with their schoolwork.

Try to help them understand that though they may not always enjoy what they're doing, it's important that they persevere. There is an exception, however, to low-key support.

When a child's grades are very poor, stronger intervention is necessary. The school and parents should work together to find out what is causing the low grades and take steps to correct the problem. You must keep in constant contact with the school to demonstrate your concern. Don't wait for them to contact you if you sense a problem.

2. Don't overreact. If your children bring home poor report cards, don't get visibly upset because this will only worsen the situation. Your distress will upset your children more and this will lead to poorer grades over time. Follow the guidelines listed here and in the previous post.


3. Don't be too responsible. When all is said and done, you can't control everything that happens to your children. There are many factors beyond your reach that may influence school performance. Your children's friends, teachers, and neighborhood all have an impact. Don't take too much responsibility for what goes wrong. You have a responsibility to try to help your children do the best they can in school, but you are not responsible for the results.


What would you like to add? Leave your comments below.