words Alexa Wang
As parents, we constantly worry about our children’s academic progress as we believe this variable will somehow dictate their whole future. Certainly, doing well in school creates individuals with an increased amount of chances and opportunities when the time comes for them to apply for jobs.
It may also make them more confident and happier as they can see that they are progressing well in comparison to other children.
Young people can understand when they are falling behind, as they look at their peers and compare themselves. Perceiving themselves as not good enough may have detrimental impacts on their emotional wellbeing, not only as a child but also as they grow up. If your child is struggling to learn, you must assess the situation and find ways to help them.
In this article, we will discuss practical tips that you can use that will help your kids advance faster so that you can help them succeed.
Create a Good Learning Environment
Whether you realize this or not, the environment around us plays a significant role in contributing to how we feel and how productive we are. Your child may struggle to focus in a classroom environment full of people, potentially noisy, and this is emphasized if at home they do not have their own space to focus. Ask your child what their view is on the perfect learning environment and try to recreate this for them. Even if you do not have a lot of space at home, there are easy ways to turn a corner of your house into a home office or study.
Allow Them Freedom
It can be easy, as a parent, to take control of your child’s learning and have them do whatever you want them to do – however, this will only slow down their progress. Evidently, children need some support, but you should be guiding them rather than forcing them to learn. When children feel forced, they are very unlikely to progress at all. By giving them the freedom to learn what they love, to experiment, and be creative and independent without pressure, you will see that they will quickly advance.
Giving them a chance to choose their own style of studying fosters a sense of ownership and enthusiasm for learning. Many parents are learning what is kinesthetic learning and how it can cater to children who thrive through hands-on activities and physical engagement. By identifying and supporting their preferred learning methods, you empower children to explore subjects with confidence and curiosity, making education a more enjoyable and effective experience.
Provide Them With Extracurricular Activities
When many parents think about ‘advancing their children’ they often think about school and the need to read books and practice all day. However, extracurricular activities (those separate from academic life) will allow your children to progress much more than studying for hours. You can allow your kid to select the activities they would like to do – these could range from sports to playing an instrument. Whatever it is, they should be doing it because they enjoy it, as this will make them much more likely to stick to it. These activities offer a range of different skills to young people and it gives them a break from academic studies, to avoid burning out.
Create School Like Conditions
We don’t mean to do this daily, but children must be provided with the same conditions that they have in school. This is especially important if you want your child to do well in exams. There are different apps and online resources that you can use to teach your children different subjects and it is recommended you search online to learn about such resources – these allow them to complete different exercises as well as mock tests. These all act as practice for when the real thing comes and they will be able to learn at a faster pace than normal.
Hire a Tutor
Sometimes your child may need additional support to advance – if you cannot provide this to them yourself, whether because you do not have the skills or the patience, then you should consider hiring a tutor to support your child. The role of this professional is to work with the young person, to assess their abilities and fill any gaps in learning. Once this has been achieved, they can teach them further topics and materials to achieve fast-paced progress. Make sure you know what to look for in a tutor, as different professionals may have different qualities and ways of teaching – you always want to put your child’s interests first.
Have Discussions With Your Child
Even though most parents, and adults in general for that matter, believe that children do not know anything about life, this is often not the case. Children are way smarter than adults give them credit for and you must remember this. Discuss your child’s progress with them and make them a part of it if you really want them to advance. They are the ones that understand their own learning and difficulties, therefore they should also be able to come up with effective solutions. Working together as a team will help your kid advance without resenting you for putting so much pressure on them.
Be a Role Model
One of the most effective ways to help your kids advance faster is by being a role model to them – This does not require much from you, apart from setting a good example as a parent, which should be the aim of everyone with kids. Children naturally follow their parents’ leads when it comes to life, whatever aspect. You cannot demonstrate a lazy approach to your children and then expect them to be productive and advance. Children will advance quicker when they take control, as discussed previously, and they will do this if they see their role model being productive and working hard.
Praise Them
The most important thing you can do for your child to help them advance faster is to praise them for their progress. Parents often think that getting good grades is the child’s job and that they should not have to be praised for it. However, children crave positive feedback and this reinforces positive behavior. Make sure you tell your kids they have done well and reassure them every time they struggle by also motivating them to overcome this as independently as possible.
Helping your kids is a constant job as a parent, and understandably you want them to do well and be successful. If you want to help your kids advance faster, make sure that you follow the tips discussed above so that you can accomplish this successfully.
