Every Child Deserves to Read with Confidence 

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 by Demitra Bryant | Improving Grades

How to Help Your Kids Get Their Grades Up and Keep Them There

Suppose you meet someone who says they can take you back in time. They will make you young again and allow you to go back and correct your mistakes. You can even retake those tests you failed badly years ago. The best part of this time travel adventure? You get to keep all your memories. Are you interested? Sure, you are.

With this second chance, how would you approach your studies? You will undoubtedly be a diligent student prepared to get the highest grades. Right?

Now consider: Are you treating your children like they are your chance to live all over? You may find yourself projecting the wishes you had for yourself onto your children.

If so, it's time to put an end to it. Your kids may either be better or worse than you were when it comes to their grades. You can't magically change that.

But you can help them get better. What can you do?

Try these tips to help your kids raise their grades:

Encourage them to ask questions. Kids are naturally curious when they are younger, but they may become more closed up as they grow and mature. They need to know that it's okay to ask questions. Why? So, they don't hold back from asking for further explanations at school. 
 

• As a parent, how can you do this? You can set an example by asking friends and family questions freely, and your children will imitate you.
   
  

• Answer your children's questions. Would you like to ask questions if you are constantly shut down or don't get a response? Likely not. So, when they ask questions, answering them will assure them that it's okay to ask.
   
  

• Correct the manner in which they ask questions if it's disrespectful or discourteous. Commend them for thoughtful questions.

• Every time they ask a question, before answering, say, "That's an excellent question," and end with "I'm looking forward to your next question." It encourages their curiosity.

Help them create a flexible study schedule. Put yourself in your children's shoes when you do this. What were your study schedules like? Could you sit behind a book for hours without moving? Even if you were sitting behind the book, were you reading, or was your mind wandering?

• Children have a lot of energy and become restless if they sit for too long. What can you do to help? Help them make a weekday and weekend schedule. It should include time for breaks during study sessions. Adding time for play and rest allows them to stick to their schedule. 
• Have a personal copy of their timetable so you can give gentle reminders in case they get distracted.
• Remember, all children have different abilities. Helping them to study, even if it's just for a few minutes a day, can go a long way. And in time, they will develop a greater desire to study. 

Help them eliminate distractions. Phones are not altogether bad, but they can be big distractions for your children. One of the biggest distractions for kids is their phones. Can you think of any other things? Video games, TV shows? How can you help them? 

• Regulate their time spent on their phone. You can use an app to track the time they've spent on it. Practice putting your phones aside as a family. You can set a rule that the first person to touch their phones has to do the dishes.
• Lower the volume of the TV, or don't watch it at all while they are studying.

Reward them for their efforts. Offer generous rewards as an incentive to get them to continue studying. Rewards are significant to a child. Paste their achievements on the wall.

Let them know you are proud of them. They may look embarrassed when you brag about them, but inside they will be smiling. Just try not to overdo it. Your goal is not for them to study hard once and give up but to keep studying.

Help them set reasonable goals. Write down goals together and ask them what their dreams and aspirations are. When they answer, make an achievement board. List little goals they can set and reach to get there and tick them off one by one as they succeed. Their successes will motivate them to keep going.

Be patient with your children. Never stop encouraging them. Don't push them too hard. What happens if you push someone too hard? They will fall. If your children feel overwhelmed and pressured to study, they could start using other means like cheating to pass to please you. Avoid pushing your own goals onto them.

Reassure them that it's okay to take a break. And parents, do remember that some children are late bloomers. They could develop their intellectual ability later in life. Don't give up on them. Give them a chance to make you proud!

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 by Demitra Bryant | Improving Grades

 My 2023 Goals

 Gosh, time flies. The year 2022 is over, and 2023 is here. Another year has come and gone!

 For those of you who have been following My Tutor Helps Me or The Literacy Skills Club for Parents since last year, I really appreciate your support!

 It’s the time of the year again for some much-needed reflection and introspection to set the right tone for the new year!

 I have been busy coming up with my goals for 2023, and I wanted to share the biggest ones with you.

The first goal I have for 2023 is to provide more reading and writing strategies in the parents’ Facebook group, The Literacy Skills Club for Parents. I have this set as a goal because I know how much you want to help your child become better readers and writers so that they become more confident in school. Feel free to join!

The third goal I have for 2023 is to interview and accept more scholars and families into the programs offered at My Tutor Helps Me Educational Services. In addition to tutoring, other educational services are: family sessions for ADHD/ Executive Functioning, IEP services, arts & crafts infused with literacy, and adult English as a second language sessions.  

Report cards will be issued over the next several days, so be on the lookout. If your scholar is not performing to the best of their abilities, send an email to their teacher(s) to determine what area(s) in the grading system (classwork, homework, assessments, projects, warm-ups) they need help with. I’ve found that many students opt not to complete or turn in their homework and those zeros quickly add up. 

I remember how hard it was to get my daughter to do her homework. I thought I was going to lose my mind. If you ever felt this way then read this article I wrote, How to Get Your Child Excited About Homework.   

What about you?  What is your #1 goal for 2023? Hit comment and let me know or share with your trusted family or friends.

Here’s to an AWESOME 2023!

Demitra Bryant, M.Ed.