Helping your child succeed in school is not only one of the most important jobs as a parent/caregiver, but also is the most rewarding. The following are a summary to tips that have been proven to helping parents ensure their child’s success.

1. Get to know your child’s teacher and the best way to communicate with him or her. Build a relationship that will last throughout the year.

2. Establish a homework routine that sets the time each night your house will devout to homework. During this time, turn off all distractions (phone, t.v., social media, music, etc.)

3. Volunteer at your child’s school regardless of their grade.  Become a greeter to help monitor students behaviors to and from school.

4. Communicate with your child’s teacher as to what you can do at home to help your child succeed at school.

5. Ask for a list of school and community resources that will provide additional support to help your child succeed.

6. Pay attention to your child’s attendance. Focus on tardies as well as absences.

7. Use the  “parent buddy system” by encouraging the parents of your child’s friends to help stick to and enforce common values regarding school and homework rules when the students are visiting each other.

8. Maintain a healthy and nurturing home environment for your child.

9. Help keep kids safe. Report bullying and take action if your child is bullying others or being bullied.

10.  Stay engaged with your child’s education. Education begins at home.

Join Creative Visions in taking the pledge to read to your child or have your child read, regardless of their age or grade, at least 20 minutes each day by going to parenting.com/pledge

Creative Visions staff recently completed training to effectively utilize Education2020, an online educational resource program. Education 2020 is used by Creative Visions in its Outside the Box educational program, and is also used by many Iowa school districts including Des Moines Public Schools.

Outside the Box program was developed to help reduce the dropout rate by helping students re engage with school and reach academic benchmarks. Education2020 provides support to help students develop academic proficiency and learn critical learning and life skills.

Creative Visions Outside the Box program is free and open to students who may need help in recovering lost academic credits or who may be struggling in a traditional class room setting. The Outside the Box also serves as an alternative placement for students who have been suspended from school. Students serve out their suspension in a supervised learning environment which allows them to remain current with their school work. Outside the Box is supervised  by a full time staff member who recently retired from the Des Moines Public School District after over 20 years of teaching in the system. The program   provides academic and non academic support to help students reach their potential in school and avoid dropping out.

“Reducing the dropout rate is among Creative Visions’ major goals”, said Ako Abdul –Samad. “What we have learned is that some students may need more help than others and require ‘thinking outside the box’ to address their needs.”

For more information on the program, please contact Cynthia Hunafa, Learning Coach and Program Coordinator at (515) 244-4003 or cynthia.hunafa@creativevisionsia.org