It’s back to school time again! For parents of an unmotivated child, this can be the start of a new cycle of stress as they observe what appears to be a “laziness” or apathy. The good news is that these observable behaviors aren’t fixed. Read on for some quick tips.

-Focus on the positive, and notice your child’s accomplishments regardless of how small these may be.

-Use specific praise. For example, instead of saying, “I’m so proud of you,” you could say, “You scored really well on this math test. You must have worked extremely hard to earn this grade.”

-Let your child overhear you praising their efforts to other people.

-Break up tasks by creating a list of goals for your child to check off.  Your child will feel good as they check off each component of an assignment, such as an outline, a draft, and so on.

-Be nearby when your child is working. Complete your own work at the same time. Upon completion, discuss your accomplishments.

-Help your child realize that issues that arise can be used as a learning experience. Talk about problems using words such as “hurdle” or “obstacle” rather than “failure” or “defeat.” They need to see that all people experience temporary roadblocks, and these experiences can help us grow.

-Use caution when talking negatively about your own schooling or attitude in certain academic subjects. Parents’ attitudes about schooling can affect children’s attitudes about academics.

-Look over your child’s work, and show interest in what they’re doing. You can take it a step further by having your child “teach” you the content.

The academic “summer slide” is a serious problem. Students lose roughly two months of knowledge in math and reading when they stop practicing academic skills over the summer. Summer reading loss is cumulative, so children who consistently don’t read over the summer will be two years behind by the end of sixth grade. The good news is there are ways to avoid the “brain drain”. Here are some simple tips:

-Children should have easy access to books, even if that means taking regular trips to the library. Find things your kids WANT to read, rather than what you want them to read. 

-Check out the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. It’s a free online summer reading program for children running from May 4, 2015 through September 4, 2015. On the “kids” link, children can find games, reading related videos, such as book trailers, book news, and more! It’s an incredible resource!!!! Be sure to check out the “parents” page as well. Find this by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. 

-If you’re going away, have your child research places you will be visiting over the summer and help make recommendations.   

-Read aloud to your child every single day. This advice goes for children of all ages, including teens.

-Although your child should read several books over the summer, daily reading doesn’t always equal book reading. It can include reading the comics, recipes, travel brochures, and children’s magazines.

-Explore your city or neighborhood. Take trips to the zoo, parks, museums, and so on. Encourage children to journal about their activities, or even write to friends and family about their experiences.

If your child struggled in the previous year, or if you want to help them get ahead, summer tutoring is also an option.

I encourage you to leave questions, comments, and other tips in the comment section below.  

These ideas comes right from Scholastic's parent website. I've shortened them, but you can read the full detailed response by clicking the link at the bottom of this post. 

The parent asked a question, which I get some variation of frequently:
"What is the best way to help my 10-year-old daughter to write better and enjoy it?"

The experts suggested:

• Have your child keep a writer's notebook, a diary, or a journal. She can keep track of important news, funny family stories, or meaningful events in family life. 
   
• Send a letter. Encourage your daughter to share her opinions, send them as a hello and a thank you, or to discuss special times. 
    
• Look for writing opportunities everywhere. Have her get used to writing lists and notes to serve as reminders. 
   
• Copy text; this helps develop writing fluency. One possibility: have your daughter select, copy, and present a poem as a gift for a special occasion.
   
• Use the computer. 

Adapted from: 
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/homework-project-tips/expert-reading-advice-grades-3-5

It seems to me that homework is often dreaded by parents more than children. Below are some simple, easy to read tips to help with this daily daunting task.

1. Most kids need a break between coming home from school and starting homework. If your child needs a play break, they should absolutely have one. However, I don't advise having this be a break in which they turn on the television or play on the computer. Instead, think about alternatives, such as, drawing/coloring, reading, writing, or a form of play. 

2. Allow your child to select where he or she does homework. Whether it's on the floor, on the couch, or at the table, it's important that the space is clear of distractions. TV and music should be off. 

3. Do your own educational work nearby. While your child is working, try reading, paying bills, or doing something else which demonstrates that what your child is learning actually has real world applications. Being nearby will provide a sense of comfort for your child. 

4. When your child gets stuck, don't just give them the answer, a hint, or try to reexplain everything. Follow up with a question. For example, you could ask, "What do you think you should do first?" or "What steps should help you figure this out?"  Remember, we are preparing our children to be independent learners. They have other resources at their disposal ranging from examples provided in their homework, dictionaries, the internet, notes from class, etc.; they should be encouraged to use these resources.

5. Show your child how to pace themselves with long term assignments or studying. Often times, children don't mention something is due until right before the due date. This results in chaos. Pay close attention to where things are going wrong to prevent those issues from occurring in the future.

6. If your child needed an extensive amount of support to complete an assignment, let his or her teacher know by sending in a note or writing an email. Also inform the teacher if homework is taking too long to complete. Research suggests that students should have about 10 minutes of homework per day multiplied by their grade level. Therefore, a first grader should have about 10 minutes per night, while a third grader should have about a half an hour of homework per night. Remember that children should still be reading in addition to this.  

7. If you're a parent that truly dreads this time, do your best to pretend that it's an exciting time. If you seem enthusiastic about this portion of your day, your children are more likely to get the work done happily. 

Feel free to comment with additional tips.