Parents want their children to succeed, and one of the primary ways they support that goal is with education. There is so much to learn through schooling, from basic math and reading to communication skills and time management. While everyone’s skill sets and aptitudes will be different, a good scholastic foundation is important for every child.
Giving your child an education means more than just putting them on the school bus and hoping for the best. Educational success requires balancing parental involvement and student autonomy; ultimately, your child will have to take charge of their own education. But the more tools you provide for your child, the better chance they have at reaching their full potential.
What kind of scholastic tools are available outside of an ordinary classroom? From the digital to the methodological, here are four tools that — coupled with formal schooling — will give your kiddo the best possible learning experience.
1. Provide Access to Online Tutoring
While there are famous autodidacts throughout history — Abraham Lincoln for one — gaining a proper education is quite difficult on your own. While the internet provides access to endless amounts of information, sifting the wheat from the chaff is another thing entirely. By providing hands-on guidance, a good teacher makes all the difference in academic learning.
While your child may do well in school overall, there may be cases when they need an extra hand. Perhaps they have trouble connecting with the instructor of a difficult subject, or you live in a rural area where certain classes aren’t offered. To provide the learning your child needs and desires, look into an online tutoring service.
Online tutors are highly qualified teachers all over the world who provide their teaching expertise over the internet. Your child can join a video conference call with one of these instructors and get help in subjects they’re struggling with. Or the online tutor can provide extra instruction over summer break to help stem learning loss.
2. Get Your Child a Library Card
Libraries are some of the greatest places on earth to learn. Not only are they filled to the brim with books on every topic imaginable, but they also provide a calm place for studying. Best of all, libraries are completely free to access for everyone in the local community.
Since most libraries are run by cities and counties, you should have one or more close to where you live. Accompany your child to your library of choice and fill out the simple form that will get them a library card. Now they can check out whatever books they please as well as gain access to study rooms, enrichment programs, educational films, etc.
A library card is useful even without a physical library in your location. Using a mobile app such as Libby, your child’s library card provides access to a myriad of digital resources. If the book your child wants to read has been checked out at the local library, no problem. They can use a smart device to read an electronic version of the book without the wait.
3. Create a Custom Learning Environment
Part of the reason the library is such a great place for learning is because of the setting librarians create. Public spaces are clean and organized, and there is little to no noise that would cause distraction. What do you do if going to the library frequently isn’t a possibility? The solution is to emulate that type of learning environment in your own home.
Select an area of your home to work with, like a spare bedroom or an unused portion of the basement. Once you have your space, think about what elements would be conducive to study and quiet reading. This is where you can get as creative as you’d like. Set up the ideal workspace for your child, soliciting their input in the furnishing process. Consider accessories such as a desk lamp, noise-canceling headphones, or even a beanbag chair for comfortable reading.
In truth, the elements you choose aren’t as important as the reasons you choose them. Your goals should be to eliminate distractions, increase motivation, and help your child feel comfortable in a learning environment. As they continue to grow and develop, you can modify this space to accommodate changing needs and desires.
4. Discover Your Child’s Learning Style
Every child is unique. Therefore, not all children can be taught in the exact same way. To help your own kid fulfill their scholastic potential, you need to figure out which teaching methods they are most receptive to.
In order to identify your child’s learning style, observe them. Do they gravitate toward music and beg for you to read to them out loud? Then you may have an auditory learner. Is your kiddo an inveterate bookworm? They could be a read-and-write learner. A learning kit could demonstrate that your child learns well by working with their hands, whereas a museum trip could reveal a visual learner.
Once you’ve determined how your child learns the best, share that information with their teachers and online tutor. By tuning their instruction to your child’s preferred learning style, these professionals help them learn in the most effective way. When you do supplemental teaching at home, use those same strategies to accelerate your child’s understanding.
Children are the future of the world. The better they’re enabled to learn, the more positive outlook they will have for the rest of their lives.
