Children spend one-half of their waking hours in school or school-related activities. Studies show that children whose parents are involved in their education do better in school than children whose parents are not involved.

The following pointers can be helpful in promoting good attitudes and practices in your child.

• Establish effective communication with your child's school
  
  • Start communication when things are going well with your child. Give compliments to the teacher through notes or phone conversations.
    
  • When there are problems, share concerns while they are small. Ask how things are going.
    
  • When attending school activities, prepare yourself with questions or concerns that you want to address.
    
  • Join the PTA, or volunteer your time in order to share more of your child's world.
    
    
• Be available to encourage your child.
  
  • Show your child you are interested by being consistently available at predictable times each day. Do not attempt to protect your child from negative consequences by doing the homework assignment yourself (or by "helping" too much). This will seriously detract from your child's confidence to cope successfully with future school demands.
  
  
• Display a love of learning at home.
  
  • To fuel your child's natural interest and curiosity, celebrate learning. Ask questions, exchange ideas and allow your child to arrive at his or her own conclusions. Provide a home environment rich in books, games and projects. Above all, let your child see you enjoying new challenges and activities.