Do You Want Success?

I was a bad student.  Wait no, I wasn't a bad student.  I was a horrible, no good, very bad student.  I wasn't motivated to succeed, was insecure, and was socially promoted.  I went to learning centers to help me learn to learn.  As a parent, I want my children to succeed in school.  I don't want them to just succeed, I want them to want to succeed.  

I have realized that success in school takes work.  It takes work for the parent.  It takes work for the student. It takes work for the teacher. Children are being taught more at an earlier age than twenty years ago when I was in school.  The education system is no longer what it was in 1985.  I learned letter and number recognition in kindergarten.  My preschooler is learning that and is not as advanced as her peers; many of her peers are reading words, books, and writing words.  I was reading when I was four years old, so I think that is great.  My older two children are learning things I learned when I was at least two grades ahead of them.

The answer is not to bash the school system.  It is not to bash the teachers or school administration.  However, my children go to some top notch schools and have top notch teachers so I can't complain about that at all!

The answer is to be present for our kids.  As a parent take time to research how your children are being taught new material.  Math is not taught like it used to be.  I respect that the teaching methods are much different and I learn as my children are learning.  But, as they master a subject, I show them how I learned it.  I don't tell them that what they are being taught is stupid or dumb.  I research and I help them.  

As parents we have so many resources literally at our fingertips that our parents did not have when we were in school.  I am constantly googling things my children are learning.  I still make flash cards from index cards for vocabulary and spelling words.  There are stores that sell teaching materials you can use at home.  And let's not even talk about the plethora of information on Pinterest.  

Some resources I use that are inexpensive or cheap are:
www.teacherspayteachers.com
www.pinterest.com
www.google.com
www.softschools.com
www.keepkidsreading.net
www.teachingwithsimplicity.net

One thing I have also learned, especially with my children's teachers, if I don't understand something, I ask them and they help me understand so I can in turn help my children.

Remember, the school system is not out to get you or your children.  Teachers want children to succeed.  When parents work with teachers and both work with students the work gets easier all the way around.

Lets work together to help our children be successful!