This document provides 10 easy steps for parents to help their children achieve academic success or exceed expectations in school. The steps include investing 15 minutes per day in one-on-one time with each child, communicating regularly with teachers through email, discussing the child's daily experiences, checking homework and having the child re-take any tests, teaching the child how to study, using supplemental practice tools, finding a parent buddy, tailoring the study environment to the child's needs, maintaining weekly check-ins with teachers, and being the child's greatest advocate. The overall message is that parents need to be actively and consistently involved beyond just paying tuition to help their child succeed academically.

1. Achieve Approaching to
Meeting/Meeting to Exceeding
in 10 Easy Steps
Angela Patterson-Jones, MD, FAAP
(Walter C. Jones, Esq.)

2. FACTS
 There is no “ school auto-pilot”
 Dropping off the check to pay tuition is not enough
 Children will want do better/well, but the reason for
succeeding has to be targeted.
 Children should be self-motivated..not for anyone or
anything else but themselves.
 Must redirect….I will be proud of you for doing a job you feel is
your best, don’t try to please me.

3. Relationship dynamics
(The child, the parent, the teacher)
 Each child is different and unique..know your child, their
limitations, and respect your child’s relationship with you.
 Each parent is different and unique..know yourself , your
limitations, respect your relationship with you.
 Each teacher is different and unique….know his/her
limitiations, learn and respect the relationship between
yourself, your child and the teacher

4.  Parents oversimplify what it may take to succeed until it
is too late.
 Cannot put all of the responsibility on the child..
 Don’t emphasize the grade, emphasize the effort.

5.  CONSISTENCY AND CONTINUITY
 BOTH PARENTS NEED TO BE INVOLVED
 COMMON SENSE OBJECTIVES
 Expect a small sacrifice of your time to generate a large
reward.

6. TOOLS FOR SUCCESS
 Love for your child
 Desire and willingness to assist the child
 Minimum of 15 minutes a day
 Dry eraser board
 Computer capabilities
 “Kid cave”
 Two arms

7. 1) INVEST IN THE 15
 Invest in your child the 15
 Minimum 15 minutes a day PER CHILD
 Children enjoy the one on one attention
 Should be stress-free
 NO interruptions

8. 2) COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS
AND STAFF MEMBERS
 All the teachers should be included
 Language teachers
 Art
 PE
 Music
 Librarian
 Computer specialists
 Etc…………………………………….

9. COMMUNICATION (cont.)
 Do not wait for parent-teacher conferences.
 Do not wait for the teacher to contact you for a
problem.

10. COMMUNICATION (Cont.)
 Find out why child is not achieving
 Make sure the CHILD knows you are checking up on
him/her.
 Take a day/a couple of hours to actually sit in on a
class.
 Take advantage of the open door policy

11. COMMUNICATION
 EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-
EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL
 EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-
EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL
 EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-
EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL
 EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL-
EMAIL-EMAIL-EMAIL

12. 3) TALK TO YOUR CHILD
 Probe child about the events of the day
 Find out what has happened…on the playground, in
class, in the cafeteria, on the bus….
 Daily events, silly as they may seem, may have an
impact on your child’s education.
 Dinner time, most important time of the day

13. 4) HOMEWORK & TESTS
 Know what homework your child has everynight
 Make sure your child DOES his/her homework
 Check your child’s homework, ask questions about the
homework.
 How to correct the homework and correct the child
 Make sure you get back the test and have the teacher
and yourself go over what was wrong and make sure it is
learned. Retest the child yourself.
 Make a copy of the test when returned

14. 5) STUDYING
 You must begin to teach children HOW to start studying
at a young age
 Know the child, know the habits
 Need to form habits and skills which will be valuable to
them for the present and the future. Building up on
those skills
 Teach them to do SIMPLE organization and prioritization

15. 6) MAD MINUTES
 Prepare mad minutes
 www.madpractice.com (for math)
 Administer MM’s prior to breakfast and dinner.
 Any subject
 Improves self-esteem
 Instant results

16. 7) EXTRA HOMEWORK
 Request that the teacher (in any subject) give you
suggestions or actual material to do over the weekend.
 Just about 15 minutes…nothing crazy
 Check the newsletters or weekly agenda to anticipate
what your child is learning.

17. 8) PARENT BUDDY
 Have a parent friend as your consultant
 Confirm daily with a parent when tests and special
homework, projects are due
 Sounding board

18. 9) MY CHILD……….
 Learn your child’s ways and habits
 KIDS LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS
 Utilizing the computer
 Obtain resources that best suit your child’s needs
 Using a dry eraser board
 Have a study area for the child

19. 10) CONTINUE WITH:
 Set a weekly update from teacher on child’s progress
 Make a plan if child becomes “stuck”
 Try to keep all steps on a positive note
 Not the grades, the
encouragement, motivation, tenacity and desire to just
do the best.

20. 11-15 EXCEED IN EXCEEDING
 11) Request your child’s MAP scores at the
beginning, re-evaluate after 1st semester, compare with
end of year.
 12) SUPPLEMENT your child’s education in whatever
subject YOU feel he/she is not getting needs met.
 13) Request remedial or accelerated help when you (or
the teacher) feel it is warranted.
 14)Utilize technology…ebooks, computers, etc.
 15) You and only you are your child’s greatest advocate.

21. THANK YOU!!!!