Supporting your child as a parent

How can you support your child’s learning at home, create a suitable study environment, teach study skills and build confidence and a sense of security?

Practical guidance is offered by Saima Salomon and Tiina Talusaar, specialists from the Knowledge Team of Estonian Education and Youth Board’s Rajaleidja Centre.

A parent’s attitude towards school and learning is passed on to the child

How parents support their child’s schooling can be strongly influenced by their own experiences of school. For example, a parent who struggled at school may unintentionally pass on a similar attitude towards school and learning to their child. A parent who had to manage their schoolwork completely independently as a child may expect the same from their own child. Children pick up on their parents’ attitudes even without words, through body language and tone of voice.

Thus, to support a child’s positive and successful experience of school:

• Adopt a positive attitude towards learning yourself – new knowledge, skills and discoveries are exciting.
• Value and acknowledge your child’s effort, not only good grades. Do not compare your child with their classmates. Mistakes are allowed. Do not push your child towards perfection. Instead, encourage them to try their best and to not give up too quickly.
• Teach your child how to cope with strong emotions and with disappointment or loss (e.g. in sport).

A suitable environment is essential for successful learning

It is important to create the right conditions at home to support your child’s learning. Younger children in particular need guidance from parents when organising their study space and planning their homework.

• Make sure your child’s basic needs (calmness, a sense of security, food, drink, sleep) are met before they start schoolwork. This improves their ability to concentrate and helps them retain what they learn. A hungry or tired brain does not function well.
• Create an environment that supports learning (a desk, chair and proper lighting, as well as time set aside to look over schoolwork with your child). With your child, think through how to prevent distractions from devices, television or younger siblings.
• Draw up a daily schedule together (e.g. a visual timetable), including time for homework and rest breaks. The maximum effective study period at a time is 20–25 minutes, followed by a break, ideally involving movement. Long hours spent sitting at a desk are not helpful. Agree with your child that the schedule must be followed, and be a role model by keeping to it yourself.
• Teach your child how to pack their school bag. If necessary, do this together at first. Gradually increase your child’s independence. Anything they can do themselves should be done by them.
• Teach your child to take responsibility, involve them in decision-making and show them how to make choices (e.g. whether to take a blue or green sports shirt to school).

Tips for helping your child with learning

There are many ways to learn. Some tips and techniques work for many children, but it is always important to consider your own child and what suits them. Every child is unique, and parents know their own children best.

• Try out with your child which order works best for studying different subjects. It often helps to alternate types of tasks (e.g. reading and writing).
• Many children benefit from visual aids when forming connections and remembering information. This can include drawing diagrams, charts, mind maps or pictures related to what they are learning.
• Encourage your child to use different senses during the learning process – hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste – as well as movement. For example, rhythmic movement may help when memorising a poem. Explore which approaches benefit your child most and which senses support their learning. Even siblings within the same family may differ in this way.
• Direct your child’s attention to key elements in the material (bold text, text boxes, etc.).
• Ask your child to rephrase instructions to ensure they have understood the task. For example, “Read, underline, write in the table” – does your child understand that these are three tasks and in what order they should do them? Explain concepts and word meanings when needed.
• Teach your child to check their own work. For instance, when copying text, they can compare what they wrote with the example.
• Help your child summarise what they have learned, generalise the content and make connections between earlier and new material. Relate learning to everyday life and, where possible, to the child’s own experiences.
• Let your child ask you questions about the material. Teaching or explaining something to someone else is one of the most effective ways to learn.
• Encourage your child to reflect on their homework. For example, perhaps it took too long or it was fun to study together. Ask what new things they learned today and find out what was clear and what was difficult. Encourage curiosity and discovery.

Praise your child for what they do well and for the effort they put in. A parent’s sincere recognition and encouraging words strengthen a child’s self-esteem and, in turn, their sense of capability, reinforcing the belief that “I can do this.” Every child excels at something.

Be patient when new knowledge and skills take time to develop. Give your child the time they need to learn at their own pace.