The final stretch of the year has started. We are now in the fourth nine weeks of school. Helping our kids be successful takes the work of both our teachers and our families. We want our kids to finish the year strong. So, here are some tips that you can use at home to help your child with their academic success at school as they start the fourth nine weeks.

• It's recommended students should spend the same number of minutes studying each subject area they have as the grade level they are enrolled. For example, a sixth grader has seven subjects and is in sixth grade. So, they should spend 42 minutes studying each night (7 subjects times 6 minutes) regardless of any actual homework they have. The six minutes per subject is just study time (reviewing what they have already learned, reading, reviewing vocabulary, using USA Testprep, etc). 
• Make sure you know where your child's teachers post information in CTLS. Have your child share with you their CTLS login and password so that you can see all the resources their teachers post for them. If you can't find something on a teacher's post, email the teacher and ask them about it. Click here to see the PMMS CTLS Parent Information Guide.
• Make sure your child is taking advantage of the free resources in USA Testprep for their core courses. USA Testprep provides kids an opportunity to get help wherever they are in their learning and bring them up to where they need to be. But, that can't happen if they don't use it. So, make sure your child is using USA Testprep. I recommend using it 20 minutes a day at least three days a week for each area they need help. Click here to access the USA Testprep login site.
• Take advantage of Tutor ATL. If your child needs help with their studies, give Tutor ATL a call. It's free! Click here for more information.
• Make sure your child attends their teachers' help sessions. That's right. Help sessions have been offered all year and continue to be offered for our kids. Click here to see the times.
• Check ParentVue several times a week to monitor your child’s attendance and grades in each of their classes.
• Visit with your child each day about what they learned in class. Every teacher writes down what the students are learning each day and how they will show that they learned it. So, your student should know what they are learning and how they are showing they learned the information. Whether you are in the car driving to a practice or sitting at the dinner table, talk to your student about these two questions for each of their classes. You can also view what kids are learning each day in your student's CTLS Learn account. 
• Set goals for your child and establish rewards for achieving those goals. If they need to raise a grade, keep a particular grade, perform at a particular level on their reading or math inventories, or just do better on their next test, set goals with your child and reward them when the goal is achieved. This could be something as simple as having a group of friends over, letting them get those new tennis shoes they have been telling you about, or making their favorite dessert.
• Create a place in your home dedicated for your child to study. Ensure it is free of distractions so they can stay focused. Monitor their use of devices to ensure they stay focused on their learning and don't get distracted playing games online.
• Not for sure how to help your child if they need some resources? Want to know how they can access the library from their own home? Click here to see you can help your child find online resources 24 hours a day.
• Collect all electronic devices from your child at night to ensure they get plenty of rest each evening ready to come to school to learn. I would suggest keeping all electronic devices in your room so that you can ensure they aren't being used at night. 
• Monitor your child’s screen time on their device. You can usually find this under settings in the “battery” tab. You can view how much time they have spent on particular apps in the last 24 hours or the past ten days. This is a great tool for you to have to know how your student is using their time. We know it's hard for many adults to limit their time. If it's hard for adults, just imagine how hard it is for a kid.
• Sit down with your child and discuss their academic goals. Talk to them about what their goals are for their classes. Check their grades and visit with them often about how they are doing in keeping their goals. I would suggest having something visual in the home to monitor this. 65% of people are visual learners. So, having something visual in your home to keep kids focused is always a good strategy. 

Kids model what they see their loved ones do. If they don't see you being a learner and having an interest in what they are doing, we shouldn't be surprised if they don't meet our expectations or achieve their full potential in their academic studies.