by Anne Sanders

Created on: May 14, 2010   Last Updated: May 15, 2010

The foundations of education that children get in school will last them a lifetime. They will build on them in higher education or rely on them in their daily lives as well as at work. Parents can help their children in many simple ways to encourage them in their education journey.

Be Available to Help

Try to stay nearby when your kids are doing homework. Many students do not want to ask for help or don't even think to ask for it. By being close, you make it easy for them to use you as a resource. You can also take a look over their shoulder and see how well they are doing.

When students have a special project, offer to take them to the library or store for books or special items. Encourage them to spend some time on the project by making sure they set aside time on the weekend or weeknights before it is due.

When students are studying a particular subject and show interest in that subject, schedule a trip to the library or bookstore to get a book on the topic. Sharing what you know is a great start, but students may have questions beyond what you can answer.

You can also encourage learning online but make sure you explain that sites that end in .com are from companies that are for profit. Steer them toward sites that end in gov, org or edu for government, nonprofit or educational organizations.

Encourage creativity and ask questions. Talk through student ideas for assignments and ask them questions to prompt their own ideas. A little brainstorming, thinking and planning can go a long way. We may forget that students have not done all the projects we have in our lives. This is their chance to explore a topic and learn how satisfying it is to do a good job.

Help Them Organize

As kids get older, they have more projects and tests each year in school. Make sure kids in secondary school have a calendar to keep track of test dates and project due dates. Monitor if they're putting due dates on the calendar and give them some reminders. Contact teachers to find out if there are regular test dates if necessary.

Make a study spot for your kids and keep it stocked. It shows the importance you place on studying and helps reduce frustration because kids don't have paper, pens, pencils, posterboard or other items they need.

For older kids, buy them highlighters for books they can write in and post it note pads for those they can’t. They can mark important sections with different colors and notes written on the pads for easy studying.

Make Learning Fun

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