Step 1: Organize
For many students staying organized is the biggest stumbling block.
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Tip #1: Make a checklist of things your child needs to take to and from school every day. Display next to the door so they check it before heading out to school.
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Tip #2: Sit down and review your child’s organization strategies they are currently using. Check the organization of their notebooks. Develop a system together that works for them. Check Infinite Campus and Schoology regularly to stay on top of missing and upcoming work.
Step 2: Time Management
Many students underestimate or procrastinate the amount of time it takes to complete assignments, projects and homework. Developing the skills to block out productive time takes consistent practice.
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Tip #1: Track assignments on a monthly calendar. Work backward from the due date of larger assignments and break them into nightly tasks.
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Tip #2: Help your child record how much time he/she spends on homework each week so she can figure out how to divide this time into manageable chunks. It is also helpful to have your child estimate the amount of time he/she thinks a task will take. Often they underestimate how much time homework takes.
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Tip #3: Together, designate a time for nightly homework and help your child stick to this schedule.
Step 3: Prioritization
Sometimes teenagers fall behind in school and fail to hand in assignments because they simply don’t know where to begin. Prioritizing tasks is a skill your child will need throughout life, so it’s never too soon to get started.
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Tip #1: Ask your child to write down all the things they need to do, including non-school-related activities.
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Tip #2: Ask them to label each task with 1 being most important.
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Tip #3: Ask about each task, so that you understand your child’s priorities. If they label all their social activities as 1, then you know where their attention is focused.
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Tip #4: Suggest they rewrite the list in order of importance.
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Tip #5: Check in frequently to see how the list is evolving and how your child is prioritizing new tasks.
Step 4: Concentration
Whether your child is practicing vocabulary (Membean) or studying for a Calculus test, it’s important that he/she works on schoolwork in an area with limited distractions and interruptions.
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Tip #1: Limit access to distractions when your child works on the computer. Declare the phone and TV off-limits during homework time.
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Tip #2: Have a designated spot for homework where it is easy for you to frequently check in with your child. Usually, a bed is not the best place to do your best work!
Step 5: Motivation
Most teenage students say they want to do well in school, yet many still fail to complete the level of work necessary to succeed to their academic potential. The reason is often motivation. Tapping into your child’s interests is a great way to get them geared to do well in school.
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Tip #1: Give your child control and choices. With guidance, let them determine their study hours, organizing system or school project topics.
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Tip #2: Encourage your child to share their expertise. Regularly ask them about what they’re learning in school.
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Tip #3: Congratulate, encourage and celebrate all their successes.- Often what holds teenagers back from trying is the fear of failure or the memory of a time they didn’t do well. You can help break this cycle by celebrating your child’s successes, no matter how small, and by giving them opportunities to succeed.
If you have any questions that have not been answered in this email, please feel free to reach out to individual teachers or your child’s counselor.
Thank you!
The Counseling and Student Support Team
