Working With Your Child’s Teachers

Many teachers say that they often don’t receive information from parents about problems at home. Many parents say that they don’t know what the school expects from their children – or from them.

We at Healthy Start Academy truly love your student. We don’t judge – we want to make life better when he’s struggling.

Here are some guidelines that will help you help your child succeed in school.

When should I talk with my child’s teacher?

• Early and often. Contact your child’s teacher or teachers at the beginning of the year or as soon as you can. Get acquainted and show your interest.

• Tell teachers what they need to know about your child. If he/ she has special needs, make these known from the beginning.

• If you notice a big change in your child’s behavior, school performance or attitude during the school year, contact the teacher immediately.

• Call the teacher if your child doesn’t understand an assignment or if he needs extra help to complete an assignment.

Image: keycurriculum.com

Parent-Teacher Conference Day, October 29

At the end of the first grading period, Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held throughout the day on October 29, and report cards will be distributed. (There will be no school for students.) 

Parent-Teacher conferences are a vital tool to promote communication between the school and home. The conferences allow teachers to dedicate one-on-one time with you, the parent, to discuss your child’s academic progress and classroom behavior. The conferences also allow parents to voice any concerns and ask any questions.

To schedule a parent/teacher conference, please call the school at (919) 956-5599.

How To Help With Homework

Let your child know that you think education is important and so homework has to be done. Here are some ways to help your child:

Have a special place for your child to study. The homework area doesn’t have to be fancy. A desk in the bedroom is nice, but the kitchen table or a corner of the living room also works just fine. The area should have good lighting, and it should be fairly quiet. Provide pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper and a dictionary. Other helpful supplies might include a stapler, paper clips, maps, calculator, pencil sharpener, tape, glue, scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus and an almanac. If you can’t provide your child with all of the supplies he needs, check with her teacher, school counselor or principal about possible sources of assistance.

Set a regular time for homework. Having a regular time to do homework helps children to finish assignments. A good schedule depends in part on your child’s age and specific needs. Work with a young child to develop a schedule, but give your older child the responsibility for making up a schedule independently – although you’ll want to make sure that it’s workable. You may find it helpful to have her write out the schedule and put it in a place where you’ll see it often, such as on the refrigerator.

Remove distractions. Turn off the TV and discourage your child from making and receiving telephone calls, e-mails and texts during homework time. If you live in a small or noisy household, try having all family members take part in a quiet activity during homework time. You may need to take a noisy toddler outside or into another room to play. If you can’t avoid distractions, your child may want to complete assignments in the local library.

One final note: You may be reluctant to monitor your child’s homework because you feel that you don’t know the subject well enough. But helping with homework doesn’t mean doing the homework for him – it’s about supporting him to do his best. Show that you are interested, help him get organized, provide a quiet study place and the materials he needs to work, monitor his work to see that he completes it and praise his efforts. If your child is having an especially difficult time with any subject, please contact the teacher.