I say this a lot. More than ever in this past year. But, unless you have studied education or have accumulated years of hands-on experience with a variety of children, becoming your child’s teacher does not work out well.
Don’t get me wrong, all parents teach. And all parents should support their child’s formal education, but without learning the science behind education and curriculum it’s best to leave that to the professionals. Parents should focus on developing the child's learning skills and shaping them into responsible adults.
Parents do have a litany of things they can do to support their child’s education without becoming the teacher. You can read with your child. You can ask about what they are learning and encourage your child to explain what they have learned ( I believe in letting a child teach you, because if they can teach it then they know it). You can do fun activities with your child that help reinforce learning. You can take your child to museums, art shows, science centers, theater, concerts, and into nature. You can model good learning behavior. All of this and more will help your child be a better student no matter what learning environment they encounter.
But, I know most parents see school failing their child and feel the need to step in. You can know teachers are doing their best and still know that things are not what they should be. I don’t know any teacher right now that doesn’t feel pulled in so many directions that they know certain children and certain skills have not been able to be supported.
So, parents face the dilemma of how best to help their child. Stepping in to teach the material seems like the most direct and easiest way to help. But, that’s just keeping their head above water. Focusing on teaching your child skills to enable them to learn on their own will enable them to go back and pick up missed skills and empower them to move ahead (regardless of how good or bad the teaching is in school). It’s hard to watch them fall behind temporarily, but you have limited time and patience. Spending it on the skills that give the biggest return over time makes more sense. Your child can catch up if properly empowered.
Improving the amount of reading time and the level of reading in school can make up for the lost class time. Reading has proven to be one of the single most influential skills in all academic success. Read with your child of all ages to improve their reading volume. For older children, you can read quietly together, but maybe the same series or topic to compare notes. Build up the time your child reads slowly to get the maximum benefit without making them hate reading. If you offer an incentive (for example, equal time reading and playing on the computer or watching television) make sure they are reading new material and that the material is an appropriate level for them.
But, other skills help, too. Focus on guiding your child rather than teaching the substance of the lesson. Instead of stepping in to correct your child by automatically showing them how to do something, start with having them show you what they know about the problem or project. This way, you’re not responsible for duplicating the teaching, but can limit your help to just the small step where they are stuck. The encourage them to keep going on their own. While this can be a struggle a the start, over time they will learn to self-correct, which is an invaluable skill. Students can need help without being helpless.
School and learning feel overwhelming to teachers, parents, and students right now. So, prioritize learning skills over learning material.
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