Ways to Support Your Kids in Grade School

As a parent, you want to both protect your children and help them be their best. Helping them to learn and grow is a big way to achieve both goals. You’ll want to give your kids a head start in their education so they can safely navigate through the sometimes tricky terrain of grade school. There are many ways to help your child adjust to and do well in school.

Give your child a boost in school

Support your student at home. Learning never stops. Here’s how to support your student at any age:

• Give your child a quiet place to study; help your student develop a routine.
• Monitor homework and help your student chip away at larger projects.
• Keep your children engaged. Ask them specific, not general, questions about school. Talk about your own work and how it connects to what they are learning.

Get them a tutor. It’s easier to keep up than catch up. Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families can help your student stay ahead or get caught up. Tutoring and homework help is available 24/7 at no cost to active-duty service members and their K-12 dependents. Live tutors are online and can help with homework, studying, test prep, proofreading and more.

Talk to a school liaison. Your local school liaison is your first stop for assistance with all things education. School liaisons can help you determine the best fit for your child when changing schools and provide necessary information about culture, academics and extracurricular activities – your “must haves.” They can also connect you with youth programs outside of school and provide assistance for your child’s specific educational needs. Home-schooling? Your school liaison can fill you in on state and local home-schooling requirements and connect you with nearby home-school groups. Find your service-specific school liaison through the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Child, youth and teen programs. Youth programs offer enrichment classes and may open its facilities during the school day to children who usually receive home education.

If your child has a disability or special need, the Exceptional Family Member Program can help you navigate the Department of Defense’s network of services and support. Use the EFMP & Me online tool to create an education checklist with information and resources tailored for your family.

If your family has low income, a foster child or a child with special needs, you’re eligible for the national Head Start Program. This program teaches reading, math and other key skills to children age five and younger before they start kindergarten. They also receive nutrition, health and social services. Live overseas? The Department of Defense developed the Sure Start program to provide Head Start-like services to families living overseas. The program is open primarily to four-year-old children of command-sponsored service members.

Military OneSource is by your side so you can be good guardians of your children’s education. Questions along the way? Whether it’s looking to give your children a head start in life or taking standardized tests in high school, we can help. Call us at 800-342-9647 and we can connect you with an education consultant.