Keys to Success

Sandra DuPont, family counselor and contributor on the web newspaper, Huff Post, shares her advice with parents on helping teens to have academic success. She offers a simple outline to get your teen on the road to excellence in high school.

  When children become teenagers they begin to seek a separate identity. There is a lot going on during adolescence such as body changes, mastering peer relationships and defining educational expectations. As students across the country begin a new school year, it's an opportune time for teens to begin learning social skills, personal responsibility and accountability and respect for authority.  Whew.  That's a mouthful.
 The teen years are also a period of transition for parents, who move away from providing for each and every childhood need to coaching their teen how to manage their own needs and deal with the frustrations and demands of daily life. As the parent of a teenager, your new role is to help your teen learn how to set realistic goals and expectations for themselves and let them take the lead while you encourage and support them from the sidelines. In other words, start cutting the cord while keeping them in your range of vision, without them knowing.........................easier said than done.

. The following tips are offered by Ms DuPont to help parents minimize their involvement and allow teens to take the lead in maximizing their own educational experience.
Learning Style
People learn differently. Some learn from listening to lectures or reading, while others learn best with visual aids or hands-on projects. If a teacher's style doesn't match your teen's learning style, students can supplement learning by using flash cards or sketching diagrams to aid in memorizing new material.
When taking notes, it may be useful for your teen to draw a sketch of something that helps the information stick in their mind. During class, students should listen for key words or phrases the teacher emphasizes, write them down, and highlight them so they are easily recognizable when reviewing their notes. There are lots of learning styles; visual, tactile, kinetic, through hearing .........google the term and identify how your child learns.
Planning
It is important for teens to understand their homework assignments and write them in their phone notebook, daily planner or notepad. Include specific details about what is expected and the assignment due date.
If your teen devotes enough time to do good work, they'll have greater means to succeed. Estimating how much time is needed to read a book, write a paper or prepare for an exam will help your teen establish an effective study schedule.
Organization
Organizing study notes helps students find information quickly when preparing for exams. This can be accomplished with highlighters, colored pens and post-its. Flagging information while reading makes it easy to return to. Highlight or write important topics, phrases or terms in a new color pen so they stand out.

Nobody benefits from completing an assignment, but forgetting to turn it in. At this stage, teachers have little patience for the excuse, "I left my homework at home." After homework is finished, teens should put homework in their binder or backpack, and set it next to the door so they can grab it and go the next morning.

Communication
If your teen can develop a good relationship with each teacher, they'll feel more comfortable asking questions and clarifying expectations, even if they don't personally like the teacher. This is a good one. As a former teacher, students who made the effort to relate to me one- on -one were one step ahead of the aloof ones.
Study Space and Time
Some people prefer a quiet study environment while others benefit from listening to soft music. A comfortable study space should reflect the student's style, but it should also be free of distraction. Cell phones and social mediashould be off limits during study time.

Teens can optimize learning by getting adequate rest, taking breaks, and being physically and emotionally healthy. Establishing bedtime limits and a nightly routine of reading or listening to relaxing music prior to bed helps teens get the sleep they need.

Test prep involves more than just studying. Teens need to be rested, alert, calm, confident and comfortable. It is also important to learn how to manage the time given for an exam and allot a certain number of minutes to each section of the exam. 
Homework Habits
Instead of watching television or plugging in to the Internet upon arriving home from school,  use them as a reward for after homework has been completed. Consider establishing healthy homework habits such as:

• Homework is done immediately after school.
• If self-discipline is an issue, homework can be done in the kitchen or common areas instead of their room.
• All social media is off-limits until homework is finished. You can do it.  Be strong!!!
• Cell phone is only accessible when homework is finished.

Checking In
As the new school year begins, check in with your teen by asking what they think of their teachers and how they are feeling about the subjects they are studying. Once school is underway check in daily or weekly by asking about their assignments and what they are learning. It really does help to know progress, rather than be surprised when the report card comes and it is too late.  If there is a problem, teachers and counselors can help with tutoring available, study groups and additional tools to success. chrissie