Sometimes the roles of coach and student don’t come naturally to a parent and child. However, there are a few simple guidelines you can follow to create a fun and effective coaching relationship with your child so they enjoy learning with you, and learn faster.
You may be a parent who is home-schooling children or a parent who wishes to help their children do better in the classroom. Whether you are homeschooling, or your child is at a school, I encourage you to invest time and effort into developing a good coaching relationship with your child. When you work harmoniously together, learning math, reading and writing skills becomes easier and more fun for them, and helping them becomes a pleasure instead of a chore for you.
For those who send their child to school, recent research found parental involvement in children’s learning to be a key factor in them doing well at school. Results showed that parental involvement shapes the child’s identity as a learner and sets higher expectations for the child (Ally Bull, Keren Brooking & Renee Campbell, 2008). I encourage you to become involved in your child’s learning. Involvement in supporting your children’s education requires a little time and patience from you, and the expectation that they practice at home the skills they are learning at school. You can extend and develop your child’s reading, writing and maths skills beyond what is possible at school where your child has limited one-on-one teacher time. Perhaps you are thinking this involves hours and hours of extra work. On the contrary, regular short bursts of time, a few days a week will make a noticable difference in your child’s performance at school.
Families as Coaches 