Campus visits give teens a feel for college
Visiting college campuses can help students decide which schools are a good fit. Your teen should contact the admissions office as far ahead as possible to schedule a tour (space may be limited) or arrange a meeting with a faculty member in a department of interest. Encourage your teen to ask questions about freshman classes. Who teaches them? Where are they held? If a visit isn't possible, look for a virtual tour on the college website.
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Digital apps let teens learn on the go
Is your teen glued to a phone or other digital device? Why not turn it into a learning tool? There are many free apps that can help your teen master English vocabulary and even study a foreign language. Your student may be able to use an app to replace a graphing calculator for math class. There are apps that help with time management skills, and students can even download and read the complete works of Shakespeare!
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Help your teen get a head start on math test success
When students are preparing for a math exam, reviewing past quizzes and assignments is a helpful strategy. Several days before the exam, encourage your teen to look over corrected homework and tests. What kinds of questions does your teen tend to miss? Have your student rework the problems in those areas. If they are still a struggle, your teen will have time to ask the teacher for help before the test.
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Help give schoolwork real world meaning
Students are more interested in schoolwork when they can see a link between it and the real world. Point out these connections. If your teen is studying government, for example, you could look at your tax return together and discuss ways taxes affect your family. If the subject is a novel or play, ask what your teen would do if faced with a problem or decision similar to the main character's.
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There will be a 2 hour early dismissal for students tomorrow, April 1, 2022 due to planned Faculty Senate meetings in the schools.
There is be no school for students on Monday, April 4, 2022 due to a planned Professional Learning Day for all staff.
Teenage binge drinking is common and dangerous
Research shows that about 14 percent of kids aged 12-20 engage in binge drinking: having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row. Binge drinking is the most common form of drinking among high school students. Talk to your teen about its very real dangers: Teens who binge drink are three times more likely to develop alcohol-related disorders than those who don't.
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Reinforce personal responsibility one task at a time
Students must honor their commitments to teachers, classmates and themselves in order to succeed in school. To help establish this habit, have your teen choose one task that's been on a personal to-do list for at least a week and do it today. Encourage your teen to do this every day. To reinforce the idea, set a great example and do the same thing yourself.
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Bring out your teen's inner desire to learn
Some students are motivated to learn for external reasons, like earning a grade or other reward. But those who are motivated by an internal love of learning will keep learning and growing all their lives. To foster internal motivation, praise your teen for progress and knowledge of the material, rather than grades. Help your student set realistically high goals. Then say you believe your teen can overcome challenges to achieve them.
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To encourage responsibility, make it routine
Routines are terrific tools for building responsibility. They provide a framework for trying out new skills, and help students feel capable. Show your teen the steps needed for a task, like doing laundry or cooking a meal. Do it together a few times, then assign it to your teen as a regular responsibility. Don't insist that a task be done exactly as you do it, though. Instead, let your teen make choices and learn from the results.
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Address behavior that puts your teen's education at risk
Students who misbehave often in school risk being suspended. If you think misbehavior puts your teen at risk of disciplinary action, help prevent it. Talk together about situations that cause your teen to act out, and brainstorm ways to cope with them more positively. Make it clear that you expect your student to follow school rules. You may also want to meet with the school counselor or the teachers to ask for help and share relevant information about your teen.
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Jumpstart your teen's effort with a confidence boost
Sometimes teens don't do their assignments because they lack confidence in their ability to do them. You can help your teen by staying positive. Instead of accusing your student of procrastination, say something like, "Writing can be hard, but I know you can do it. Why don't you tell me what you'd like to say?" Point out the hard things your teen has accomplished before, and be sure to notice and praise progress.
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Setting goals helps turn dreams into reality
Middle and high school students are too young to have their paths set in stone. But they are at a great age to begin thinking about their futures. Encourage your teen to write down some goals. What would your student like to be doing in one year, in three years and in 10 years? Then, have your teen choose the top three goals and make some plans for how to achieve them.
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Point to the science in your teen's favorite things
Does your teen think science is boring? Spark some interest in it by pointing out favorite things that your teen owes to science, like microwave popcorn, streaming videos and that quick-dry soccer shirt. You might also take a family trip to a science museum, or ask your vet if your teen can observe when your pet gets a checkup. You can also look for TV shows or online videos about intriguing science, and watch one together this week.
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Connecting with teens takes time
Sometimes daily life gets so busy that parents can forget their adolescents are struggling with many complex issues. To reconnect with your teen, look for ways to spend more time interacting: Prepare a meal or watch and discuss a movie together. Offer to help your teen with a school project. (Don't assume your help isn't welcome because your student doesn't ask.) When possible, be your teen's biggest fan at school games, performances and events.
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Unleash your teen's creative powers
All kids can be creative, and parents can have a big impact on whether their teens' creativity comes through. To support creativity, expose your teen to new ideas. Ask your student to express opinions, and listen to them respectfully. Encourage your teen's curiosity and desire to explore. Provide opportunities to make some decisions, and praise your teen for working hard and trying new things.
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Inhalants can kill. Make sure your teen knows it
Inhalants are common household products such as paint, nail polish remover and hairspray, inhaled to achieve a "high." They are often abused by teens because they are cheap and available. They can also be deadly. Tell your teen that inhalants can cause serious health problems, including death, even on the first try. And if you suspect your teen is using inhalants, get help right away.
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Small changes can multiply math success
Is your teen struggling with math? Often, a few simple changes will help students improve. Encourage your teen to do at least a little math every day, even if there's no homework due the next day. Math involves more than just numbers, so your teen should also study math vocabulary and make sure to take careful notes in class. If the notes are confusing, have your teen check them with the teacher after class.
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Frequent, short study sessions beat one long one
Brain researchers say that students can learn more in two 20-minute study sessions than in one 40-minute session. To encourage efficient studying, suggest that your teen take a short break after 20 minutes of focusing on a subject before going back to it. Or your teen could switch subjects, from French vocabulary to math and then back to French, for example.
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Make reading a fun and frequent family activity
Students who read a lot become better readers, and families can influence how much their children read. To encourage your teen to read more, set a good example by reading more yourself. Fill your home with interesting reading material, and set a regular family reading time. Then plan fun activities to do with your teen that involve reading, like making something by following instructions.
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Give your teen the confidence to reject negative peer pressure
Teens with low self-esteem are vulnerable to peer pressure. They may do things just to feel liked. To encourage a more positive self-image, offer praise when your teen does things well, and never compare your student to other people. Then promote independent thinking. If your teen is making a choice, you might ask questions like, "What would you decide if there were a secret ballot and no one would ever see your vote?"
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