How to Help Children Succeed in School

Education is a lifelong gift that empowers people to ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only an education can provide, we can break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.

I thank God that my children are so blessed that they have the opportunity and the means to get quality education.  Data says that over 100 million children in the world do not go to school and many instead of going to school, go to work.  I wouldn't want to waste this God-given blessing.  I want to help my children succeed in school.  Through good education, they would have more opportunities in the future to improve not only their own lives but their community and country as well.

As parents, how can we help our children succeed in school?

Show them that education is important.  I make it a point that I ask my children how was their school for the day?  what is their homework?  If I give them the impression that studying is not important, they will go ahead and enjoy themselves playing games and watching TV.  I don't mean that they don't get to enjoy themselves, but there is a time for everything.

Set regular time for homework.  The time my children spend studying is not fixed.  My first son usually takes a nap after coming home from school while my second son does not.  So my second son studies first and then when my first son wakes up, it is his turn to study.  1-2 hours of study at home usually is enough depending on how focused they are in their study.


Pick a place that has good lighting and fairly quiet.  Good lighting would help keep their eyes healthy.  The place should be fairly quiet so that they could think clearly.  Remove all distractions.  Turn off the TV and try to ask other members of the family to keep the noise down or do a quiet activity.

Having the necessary supplies and resources helps motivate the students to study.  So provide supplies like pencil, eraser, paper, glue, scissors, dictionary ready in one place.  If you can afford, buy text books and other informational resources.  If you can afford more, a computer with internet connection is most helpful in this age of information technology.


Lastly, set a good example.  I need to let them see me reading books so that they too would become book readers.  I need to let them see me using math whether in the family kitchen or in the grocery.  I can also help them to use their everyday routines to support the skills they are learning.

By the way, do you know that in the US, the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books to 1 child while the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is 1 book to 300 children?  If you want to make a difference and help provide children from the low-income group with books they can take home and keep, click on the banner below.