Back to School for Parents

Have positive expectations. Expect that your child will succeed and that the teacher wants your child to succeed. Have you ever heard anyone gripe about an opportunity to be successful? If your expectations for the school year are positive, it is more likely your child's attitude about returning to school will also be positive.

Meet the teacher. Don't wait for Back to School Night to meet your child's teacher. Ideally, you will receive a phone call and a letter at the beginning of the year. However, take the initiative to call or make an appointment if you are not contacted within the first week of school. Putting a face to a name will help establish a constructive parent-teacher relationship for the rest of the year. Making an appearance also communicates, "I want to be involved in my child's education."

Communicate openly. Speak up early on about any concerns you have. For example, discussing your child's ADHD or lack of interest in reading encourages his teacher to be proactive in finding solutions to help him engage and thrive in class. Also, keep the teacher and school counselor updated on changes to your family circumstances, such as a divorce or death in the family. This way, the school can accommodate your child's emotional needs and will be on the alert for emotional distress that can manifest itself academically or behaviorally.

Keep track of grades. Many schools use online programs that allow parents and students to view current grades at any time, but even if your child's teacher uses plain old paper and pencil to tally up scores, he or she should be able to provide you with regular progress reports at least every two weeks. Better to say, "I've noticed my daughter has a zero for homework this week. How can I help her make sure she is turning in assignments?" than waiting until the end to ask, "Why did my kid get a D this semester?"

Establish a homework routine. The beginning of a new school year is a wonderful opportunity to start new routines. One of those routines (if not already) should be for homework. Most teachers assign homework as an extension of what was learned in class, so it's an important part of the learning process. Stick to whatever guideline you set, whether that means homework begins immediately after school or at a certain time every evening. It will also immensely help your child to have a personal workspace that is free from distractions, like television. It's okay if you can't solve algebraic equations or don't have time to review every science problem, but try to take a few minutes each evening to check the homework for completion and help identify questions he can ask his teacher the next day.