10 Steps to Better Grades

School can be stressful for both students and parents. But BigIQKids.com can help you help your child get on the A+ track! We’ve surveyed thousands of students, parents and educators, and drawn on our own personal and professional experiences to devise a fail-proof plan for better grades. You can read more about it in our How to Get Better Grades Guide – 10 Steps  section, but here’s a preview:

1. Make sure your students have structure, including a schedule that includes both study time and free time.

 

2. Clearly communicate your expectations for your child’s academic progress in a positive, proactive and encouraging way. “Try your best” won’t cut it. Instead, let your child know you expect to see a report card filled with As.

 

3. Don’t procrastinate. Help your child complete homework as soon as he gets home from school. Enjoy a healthy snack and a quick chat about the school day, then get to work! Let your child know that the quicker he successfully completes homework, the sooner he can enjoy free time. This will help develop a work ethic and sense of accomplishment in your child.

 

4. Make learning a daily engagement – especially during the summertime and over holiday and spring breaks. BigIQKids.com offers daily lessons in spelling, vocabulary, reading, math and geography that take just 10 minutes to complete and help your child remain academically focused.

 

5. Make sure your child has a nutritious, age-appropriate diet and plenty of exercise. Besides the obvious physical benefits, active kids sleep more soundly, deal with stress better and have a more positive, confident outlook on life. All of these help boost learning potential. Plus, playing together can help strengthen the parent-child bond.

 

6. Set a bed time and stick to it. A good night’s sleep boosts your child’s brain power, attention span and mental alertness. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 11-13 hours of sleep nightly for preschool-aged children and 10-11 hours for students.

 

7. Praise your child – even for the smallest of accomplishments. A little positive reinforcement goes a long way in boosting your child’s confidence and academic potential.

 

8. Dedicate a block of time each evening to reading, then have your child tell you his thoughts on the story, the characters, etc. Studies show that reading helps children become better readers, writers and test takers, preparing them not only for academic success but career success too.

 

9. Be a role model by not only setting rules, but sticking to them right along with your children. Eat healthy, exercise, read, be organized and get plenty of sleep. Young children love to emulate grownups, so make sure you’re setting a positive example.

 

10. Communicate with your child daily. Greet them with a hug and a chat when they get home from school and engage each member of the family in conversation about their day over the dinner table. Studies show this boosts chances of straight As by 64 percent and helps improve public speaking skills.

Read more about our 10 Steps to Better Grades and take our 30-day challenge. Then, share your successes with other BigIQKids.com blog readers.

BigIQKids.com offers 10 tips to help your K-6 student get better grades.

Tagged as: back to school, better grades, Big IQ Kids, BigIQKids.com