3 Ways to Set Your Kids Up for a Better School Year
As parents, we want to do everything we can to help our kids succeed in school. The start of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate our children’s performance so far and establish some goals to help them reach their full potential. Here are three ways to set your kids up for a better school year, whether the year is just starting or you know something needs to change:
#1: Evaluate Brain Skill Performance
One of the best ways to set your kids up for success in school is to evaluate their brain skill performance. This will give you a clear picture of their cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and help you identify areas where they may need some extra support.
All learning happens through the lens of cognitive skills. Without adequate attention, memory, processing speed, logic, and other core skills, learning is going to be more of a fight.
There are many tools and resources available to help you evaluate your child’s brain skill performance. One option is to have them take a brain skills assessment, which will provide detailed information about their cognitive abilities. This can be helpful in identifying any gaps or areas for improvement, and allow you to tailor a learning plan that is specifically designed for your child’s unique needs.
The cognitive skills assessment isn’t a diagnostic tool. Instead, it sheds light on these core skills that make learning happen so you can find your child’s unique brain “fingerprint.” These strengths and deficits are critical to understand, especially if your child is struggling in one or more areas of school.
#2: Watch Closely for Red Flags
Another important step in setting your kids up for success in school is to watch closely for any red flags that may indicate a potential problem. These could include things like:
- A sudden decline in grades
- Difficulty with memory or concentration
- A lack of interest in school
- Slow (or no) progress with reading
- Struggling to work independently, whether at home or in the classroom
If you notice any of these red flags, it’s important to take action right away. Talk to your child’s teacher to see if they have observed any changes in your child’s behavior or performance. Early action is important. Understanding the root cause of the problem and addressing it as soon as possible can prevent ongoing stress and struggle for your child (and the rest of the family).
#3: Establish Some Mini-Goals Along the Way
You can reset your goals and expectations for the start of the school year, for a fresh New Year, or any point along the way. No matter when you start, having small, actionable mini-goals along the way is critical. It’s easy to get bogged down by the amount of time school takes. Kids fight it, feel like they are stuck, and become more disengaged or disorderly as time goes on.
Having small family goals you can work towards together can be a huge help! Some school mini-goals to help keep your kids motivated and have a betters school year could be:
- Maintaining a certain grade for a month at a time (if a whole semester feels too daunting)
- Turning in all assignments on time over the course of a week or two
- Reading a certain number of books per week or month
- Having no behavioral issues by the week (or track it by day if it’s an issue!)
What’s important about these goals is that they 1) have a reasonable time frame and 2) feel doable for everyone. We want to push our kids to do their best. But sometimes, we need to scale back what that looks like to set one step at a time in front of them.
And now the fun part: celebrate! Make it a big deal when your child achieves one of these mini-goals. Whether it’s a special treat, getting to pick the movie for the weekend, extra time with a friend, or any other incentive, these celebrations can help cement the positive behavior and outcomes to make them more rewarding. (And to keep them motivated to do it again!)
A Better School Year Starts With Your Brain
You can’t learn without a brain that is equipped to process the world around you. If you want to get your child’s cognitive skills tested or if you notice any of the learning red flags we listed above, we are here to help.
Brain training has helped thousands of families have better school years, improved grades, boosted confidence, and stronger performance in all areas of life. Give us a call today or click here to get in touch to get more information.
