Dear parent,
I’m sure the education of your child is one of the top priorities for you. Of course, school and teachers are mainly responsible for it, but afterschool activities are just as important.
Studying at home helps to further develop your school kids’ learning abilities, leading to higher grades and better performance at school. This in turns will boost their self-confidence and self- esteem, and these can be very motivating. The time between afterschool and dinner, as well as weekends and holidays, are the perfect opportunity to offer some extracurricular activities to your child. Doing some additional exercises for half an hour during school time and maybe one hour during holidays can work wonders. You can split the activities during the day if you feel that this is too much. Have in mind that everything depends on the age and the personal characteristics, so you can adjust the times according to your child’s preferences. Don’t overdo it though, if you see your son or daughter is tired and needs a rest, but you can push even further if you see that they have the interest to do more. After some time they will get used to it and will be able to work independently longer and longer. In each case, do not forget to praise your kids. First, you should concentrate on the things they did right and say “well done”. They need to feel confident that they can cope with the task. This will give them even more motivation to continue. They need your approval. Encourage them each time they have done the exercise correctly. After they have received a good portion of praise, you should point out the mistakes (if any). You can also help correct them, this way making sure they won’t repeat them next time.
Working at home needn’t follow a strict routine as the one at school. Your child can stop working for a while, play a game or do some other fun and more relaxing activity (if they feel like it) and then they can finish the exercises. They shouldn’t feel pressure, just the opposite; they should see it as something helpful and pleasant. This is really important if you want your child to continue doing it for a long time and thus achieving good results. So, it is up to you to find the best approach (you know your child best), but praise always works. Fortunately, there is an abundance of afterschool books and activities to choose from, depending on the age children. When choosing, always have in mind the grade and the level. There are students who are in the same grade, but are at different levels. Moreover, some parents think that if their children are doing well at school, they do not need further practice. Wrong! They can always achieve more. You just need to take them to next level. Your children will be grateful to you after years and you will be proud of them.