What is the New Year’s Resolution for Your Family This Year? Helping Your Child Make a Positive Shift or Change as a Student

 Looking back at 2017, what are your observations of how school year has gone for your child? Has it been a positive year so far with smooth transitions, enjoyable classes, strong grades and great friends? If so, support your child to keep doing what they are doing. It’s working! However, what if it has been a tough transition year from elementary to junior high, or junior high to high school? How about homework? Or studying for tests and quizzes, remembering information or turning assignments in on time? Is your child’s backpack a black hole where papers go in, never to be seen again? Is focus, planning and organization a battle?
There are many moving parts to the student machine. Some parts move smoothly, maybe the reading and writing part; whereas other parts get stuck, say remembering information, organizing it, or completing the work on time. Part of the challenge may be your child’s personality. Not all strategies work for all individuals. The key is to get the parts working together effectively. Now is your opportunity to take stock of what is working for your child and what is still a struggle. Many of you may have had parent-teacher conferences in November. You learned what is going well, and what still needs work. A new year is the perfect time to start some new routines, strategies and study habits. Sit down as a family with your child and make a list of what has not been successful thus far. On the other side of the list, brainstorm some new ideas that focus on what needs to be changed. Perhaps there will now be a new routine of homework completed before free time, the backpack cleaned out over the weekend before Sunday night so Monday morning starts organized, or new ways to make a friend. There are myriad ways to make the necessary changes for your child. Some will be easy and some will be hard, but it’s important to put energy into ways to help your child learn skills to support academic success.
If you would like more information on more effective learning strategies, please contact the offices of Dynamic Interventions at 661-257-1254, or on the web at www.dynamicinterventions.com.