From school to home, your child needs a place they can study and not be distracted. Please ensure your home is maximized to support the learning your child is receiving every day. Here are five common areas families often struggle in helping their students focus on learning at home and some ideas which might help provide some strategies to see more success.

1. Does your child have a dedicated place at home where they can study without being distracted? Does the TV bother them? Do they consistently look outside to see what their friends are doing? Consider finding a spot for them to do their work that is free from noise and activities that could pull their focus from their homework.
2. Do you have a place for your child to keep their electronics at night? Allowing your child to keep their tablet, smartphone, or computer in their room at night may be hindering them from getting as much sleep as they need. Children in middle school need 9-11 hours of sleep each night. Most children in middle school do not have the maturing level needed to know when to shut down their devices so they can be rested for the next day. Be sure to check your home for a dedicated docking station location so that you can monitor your child’s usage at night to ensure they get plenty of rest.
3. Do you have a calendar at home that can be used for you and your child to monitor upcoming assignments and tests? Finding a location in your home that a calendar can be placed and monitored is important to help students learn how to pace themselves for upcoming activities. It’s hard for adults to pace themselves much less 10-14-year olds. Work with your child to make a plan to accomplish their assignment ahead of time by breaking it into smaller chunks.
4. Do you have a place that you can discuss with your child what they are learning in their classes? Perhaps this is the car on the way home from a game or practice. Or, perhaps this is your dinner table. Regardless of where this occurs, make sure it happens. Every teacher at PMMS writes the learning target on their board each day. Ask you student what their learning target was in their classes – especially those classes or class which may be a bigger challenge to them. If they can’t tell you what the question is, have them start writing it down each day so they can show you. You could also have them pull up their teacher’s CTLS page to show you the learning targets. Don’t assume that just because you have a good student that they are mature and responsible enough to pace their learning or keep you in the loop with important activities at school. Talk to your student about their classes and what they are learning. Email their teachers if you have questions. 
5. Monitor ParentVue frequently. ParentVue is an online resource that allows parents and students to stay abreast of attendance, assignments and grades. If you do not have a ParentVue login, please bring a valid picture I.D. to the school to receive your login information. 

Making sure our kids are successful at school takes the help of both teachers and the family. Working together this year we can help ensure they will be more prepared for high school success.