Tips for Parents of Science Students
Top Ten Tips for Parents of Science Students from Other Parents
Over the years, middle school science teachers have asked parents whose students improved during the year, "What worked?" Here is what they say:
Over the years, middle school science teachers have asked parents whose students improved during the year, "What worked?" Here is what they say:
- Act like you love science. After all science, engineering and technical training are where the money is in terms of scholarships and jobs. If your student thinks that you think learning science is important, they will do better.
- Praise your student for being a hard worker more than anything else. Offer praise for actions, not beauty or intelligence.
- Set aside one spot in a central part of your house where homework quietly happens before dinner. During this time keep the radio, tv, and phone off if possible. Adults can read quietly while students do their homework. This is the most effective way to raise grades that I know of. It is a lot to ask our students to go alone in their rooms and ignore computers, televisions, phones and music.
- Talk about times that you have worked hard to learn something new. Sometimes students don't realize that adults have to learn new things all the time. Make sure that your students know that learning how to teach themselves is the most important skill they can learn.
- Look at your student's planner every day, if there is nothing written in it, require them to get it signed by the teacher every day.
- Let your student know that ending problems like global hunger, polluted drinking water, and global warming will only be solved by people with great hearts and scientific understanding.
- Email or call the teacher regularly.
- Visit the classroom. Volunteer at school even for just an hour. Having you there will change your student.
- Spend time helping your student get their work organized every day. Organization is something that is an especially hard routine for some middle schoolers. It will lead to an improvement in grades very quickly.
- Help with flashcards whenever you are stuck in traffic or waiting for something.