5 SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG

3-minute read.

With the end of the school year fast approaching, the promise of summer fun can cause students to go into autopilot. We often see this play out with our older students (senioritis, anyone?), but it’s not uncommon to see a dialling back of efforts in our middle- and elementary-schoolers, too.

Parents who turn a blind eye to this or wave it off as no big deal are making a critical mistake. Allowing your child to shut down at the end of the year can carry over into how they approach their education in the fall and in years to come. It can also exacerbate loss of learning, especially given the unpredictable year we’ve just had!

On the other hand, ending the year on a high note fosters a sense of discipline and builds lasting confidence that will prove to be invaluable to your student throughout their academic careers.

Help Your Student Finish the Year Strong by Following These Five Tips:

Take stock of their year.

Have a conversation with your child about their school year. What were their biggest successes in your opinion? How about in theirs? First and foremost, celebrate these! Let them know how proud you are of them and that you believe in them to continue to achieve their goals. Always be their biggest cheerleader. Remember that positive affirmations and a recognition of efforts can go a long way and produce even better behaviors.

Similarly, discuss what areas they could improve on. While you will undoubtedly have your own ideas, try to first ask if they can think of anything that they are struggling with. What lessons did they learn about themselves in terms of their study habits? Is there anything that they would do differently in the future?

When the time comes to give your feedback, be specific, but gentle, in telling them what behaviors you’d like them to improve on. Try and frame this with something they already do well (positive, negative, positive).

Set some new goals!

Once you’ve had that initial conversation, it’s a great time to get clear on what your child wants to achieve next school year. Setting goals not only provides students with a distinct path toward success, but can also boost productivity and determination.

When formulating these goals, stick to one or two to start so as not to overwhelm them and remember to think SMART

Declutter physically and mentally.

While your student may have started the year with a pristine binder and an immaculate set of pencils, a lot can happen in nine months. It’s important to ensure they still have everything they need to get their work done effectively. Is there anything that they have run out of, broken, or misplaced?

In that same vein, help or encourage them to clean out their workspaces—both at home and at school. You never know what errant school supplies or notes might be hiding there!

Stick to your routine.

Longer and warmer days can tempt the best of us to begin to bend the rules around our schedule. However, it’s vital to remain consistent with whatever school year routine you have set in place. Stability, along with a good night’s rest, can do wonders for a child’s performance and motivation.

One of the most impactful ways to inspire your student to stay the course these last few week’s is to lead by example. If they hear you wishing the summer would hurry up already, it will be easier for them to lose focus.

Keep them motivated!

If you notice your student is starting to procrastinate their schoolwork more and more, remind them of all the hard work they’ve already put in this year. Wouldn’t it be a shame for one bad grade at the very end to undermine all that effort? It could be the difference between receiving a B instead of an A in the final grade.

If the slacking continues, try implementing a system of rewards or penalties to help them keep their head in the game. Rewards could look like a pizza night, having friends over, or thirty extra minutes of screen time.

Remember to advocate for frequent breaks, which will allow them to regroup and keep their focus. Are they sick of being cooped up indoors while completing homework? Suggest they set up a study station outside for a change of scenery!

The Final Stretch

In the immortal words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” You and your student are so close to the finish line—don’t give up now! Staying focused and continuing to work hard through the end of the year will benefit your student so much in the long run.

Tutoring Club of McLean is here to help. We pride ourselves on making learning fun so that your student stays engaged in their academics, no matter the time of year. Contact us today to schedule some final tutoring sessions before the end of the year.

Michelle Scott
Owner/Director
Tutoring Club of McLean
703.237.TUTOR (8886)
Email: McLeanVA@tutoringclub.com