As we vacuum away the last of the mince pie crumbs and recycle our now forlorn Christmas trees, it’s time to take control of 2012.  Many of us like to make New Year’s resolutions.  Here are our top five suggestions for parents.

1.  To read to and in front of your child. 
Show your child that reading is fun and worthwhile.  Encouraging your child to read is the best thing you can do for their educational prospects.  If your child is a reluctant reader, take a look at some of our suggestions that will help you change this.

2.  To avoid letting them see you get flustered over fractions, decimals or any other problematic maths issues. 
Many children lack confidence in their ability to do maths.  Is this because many parents lack confidence in their ability to do maths?  Never ever say, ‘I can’t do maths,’ in front of your child: your anxiety is contagious! 

3.  To encourage and support your child without pressurising. 
Praise your child for their achievements; avoid showing frustration at their weak areas and be realistic in your expectations.  Parental input is massively significant in young peoples’ educational progress but that doesn’t mean you have to spend two hours revising with them every night or testing them on trigonometry every ten minutes.  Be calm, interested and positive and your child will flourish.  If your child is sitting entrance exams this year, resolve now that you will not let it become an overly stressful event!

4.  To make sure that your child completes all homework set to the best of their ability.  Your child’s teacher sets homework for a reason!  When your child completes homework, he or she is learning good study habits.  He or she should ideally be able to complete all homework tasks independently.  If this is not possible, then it’s fine to help your child, but don’t do it for them.  You should also let your child’s teacher know that you have helped, so that they can be aware they may need more practice.  Fitting it in can be hard, but you don’t have to do it after school.  Our little boy is five and we find he completes his homework with far less fuss if we do it in the morning.

5.  To instil a routine on schooldays. 
Recent research conducted by the Prince’s Trust found that school grades are negatively affected by a lack of routine.  A set bedtime and set mealtimes are even more important than previously assumed. Take a look at our tips on instilling a routine here.

Finally, whenever you have an educational problem or query, remember the experts at Better Tuition are here to help.  You can subscribe to our feed, follow us on Twitter or join our growing Facebook community. 

Let’s not forget, we also have a face-to-face tuition centre in the heart of Urmston, providing tuition for students aged 5 – 16 in maths, English and science, as well as preparation for Trafford’s entrance exams.  We cover Urmston, Stretford, Partington, Carrington and Lymm.  Call in to 1 Crofts Bank Road, M41 0XH to see us, or ring 0161 748 3912 to book your FREE assessment worth £40 or reserve your place on one of our special entrance exam events.

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