Improve Your Family’s IQ – Ways to Make Education Come Naturally

It’s Monday! Besides your own busy schedule, your children’s activities shadow all else. From soccer meets to piano practice, where can we fit in and meld a strong academic foundation for our children? Teaching our children the importance of strong academic groundwork, the value of responsibility, and meeting your obligations on homework assignments and school projects are important values. As parents, we are the architects of our family institution. Weaving the threads of a solid education and fostering motivated learning can be accomplished easily and effectively.

Education at Home And Beyond

Often, even an extremely bright child will stumble in one subject or have a hard time with one concept. Lack of understanding of the material and basics early on can cause a chain reaction that will significantly slow down academic development. Often the best approach is for the parent to take charge and get their kids the help they need in school. There are many ways to accomplish this, such as:

Linear learning. This tutoring type offers a structured approach to math and reading. It is a way to fill in any gaps in the material children are learning at school. The extra sessions they spend with these tutors reinforces any concepts and ideas they learn at school, further enriching their educational experience.

Study hall. Children can stay at school to do their homework under the guidance of teachers or tutors, rather than doing homework at home where it is too easy for us to give them the answers.

Extra learning materials. Encourage education beyond the classroom by providing children with different educational materials. Some are digital or audio books; others are workbooks and interactive computer programs. The materials supplement what they are taught in school and provide them advanced materials beyond their grade level to keep them challenged and interested in learning beyond the classroom. These additional materials promote independent learning so important in instilling the value of curiosity and passion in your children.

Mentorship

Establish a system of mentorship among siblings. Both younger and older siblings benefit from these family work sessions. Aside from daily homework assignments, children have work sessions alongside each other, where everyone helps one another with their schoolwork. This idea follows the Montessori methodology of schooling that emphasizes a student-driven learning experience, where the children dictate the pace of their own learning experience. It recognizes that every child is different and that you can’t expect him or her to follow one sequence of development. It advocates an education that is tailored to the individual’s quirks and experiences.

By having siblings work together, you essentially create a safe and supportive environment where each child can work at his/her own pace but get the encouragement and support of their family. In particular, these learning sessions offer another way for the younger children to learn from their older siblings’ experience. The older children also benefit by teaching material to the younger brothers and sisters, reinforcing and mastering concepts they have learned in the past. Together, they all learn to work as a team and as a family.

Prioritize and Establish a Routine

Establishing a clear routine to help build a sense of regularity into your child’s days is also important for academic success. For example, they have X amount of time allotted for homework and studying and X amount of time for watching television. Exam preparations can be done as a family activity. Turn study time into a game where you quiz each other, building confidence and a sense of camaraderie among your children. This can even be done in the car on the way back from karate or soccer practice!

In this communal study format, not only does one child master new topics faster and with better understanding, but all the children benefit by participating in discussions with their siblings. It’s also important that your children learn at an early age to prioritize. Kids are juggling activities, hobbies, academics, and household chores— it’s important to teach them how to handle their responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed. Immediate gratification is a natural instinct, and teaching them how to control their impulses and to finish the important tasks first is an important life skill.

Value Independence

Educate your children by empowering them to learn on their own. While extra help might be needed sometimes, too much hand-holding can provide a false sense of security. Just as children needed to learn to walk on their own, they need to manage their homework assignments and projects on their own, as well. There are many cases where parents fret about their children’s performance on a school project. So, instead of taking the chance that their child might get a grade less than an A, they spearhead the project for their child, providing them all the ideas and research. But this strategy, even if it’s couched in good intentions, only coddles children and invalidates the whole purpose of school projects, which is to teach independent learning and to foster creative thinking and resourcefulness.