Improved grades, fewer classroom struggles and a happier kid is what every parent can hope for at the start of a new school year. There are 5 secrets to a successful school year and you can master them all.

As a parent, it’s your job to support what’s happening in the classroom and be sure your child has what they need to learn effectively. This is especially important for kids that may not ‘fit’ the education system.

As you head into the school year I want to encourage you to go in with your eyes wide open and a determination to do whatever is necessary to help your child be confident in who they are, while being successful in the classroom.

Here are 5 ways to become a powerful parent advocate:

• Know who your child is and how they learn. Schools tend to educate the left side of the brain and our right-brain visual kids can struggle or become lost. There are things you can do, but it all starts with understanding who they are and what they need. 

• Know what’s happening in the classroom. Get to know your child’s teacher and their teaching style. Find out how many kids are in the class. Do they have recess, art, gym? How does their teacher teach? The more you understand the learning situation, the better you can support and supplement where needed. 

• Support the classroom teacher in any way you can. Teachers are professionals that love what they do, but there are a lot of circumstances beyond their control.  Increased testing affects our children, but also affects the way our teachers might teach. Be supportive. Know what your kids are learning and find ways to help at home. 

• Get your child the tools they need to learn effectively. Children learn differently and there are only so many hours in a day for a teacher to reach everyone. Visual kids may need art and images, tactile children might need hands on work and auditory children might benefit from more reading time.  

• Choose enrichment classes or programs that support and round out their education. Budget cuts have led a lot of schools to cut art, music and even gym programs. Students have very few classes that include hands on activity that prepare them as learners but also satisfy their innate need to see, touch and do. Enroll your children in programs that provide a well-rounded experience while encouraging educational outcomes.

My life changed when we sent our first child to elementary school. I’d been very involved our daughter’s early education. I thought now that she was in elementary school, it was time to step back a bit and let the school handle it from here.

But the more I read about education, the stresses, the cuts, the testing, the rise of ADHD – the more I knew I better stay involved. I had to pay attention. I had to do my part. And after putting four kids through school, I am here to say – it was a good thing I was paying attention. My kids all did well, but as visual learners, there were many things we had to do to make that happen. Unfortunately, things are even tougher now, especially for visual kids, and we – parents and educators – need to up our game.

I am dedicated to helping visual learners be successful. It’s my mission, my passion. I hope you’ll stay connected so we can get your visual kids what they need to learn, to feel great about who they are and to treasure the uniqueness of who they are.