How to Help a Fourth Grader Succeed in School

Helping a fourth grader succeed in school builds a stable foundation for him as a student for life. The rewards you share with your student are more valuable than gold coins because society benefits while the future looks promising. Here are steps to follow to help any fourth grader succeed as a student so he'll be ready to move on to fifth grade.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Basic Guidelines to Success

1. Make sure the student is well-rested and well-fed. Nine to 10 year olds need at least 10 to 11 hours sleep at night. A good balanced breakfast of eggs, toast and orange juice--not sugary cereal--starts the day off right. Fourth grade students usually have a later lunchtime than in earlier grades and also have no doubt outgrown the need for snack time in class.

2. Encourage your child to volunteer at the school in capacities open to students. Older students in elementary school (fourth through sixth graders) are often asked to step up as role models for younger students by acting as library crew or crossing guards. These types of opportunities help your fourth grader develop leadership skills at an early age.

3. Work out the student's goals in life. You can ask, "What would you like to be when you grow up?" Help your fourth grader decide what subjects she is good in and see what careers use those skills. If your child wants to be a veterinarian, help her focus on science and mathematics. If your child wants to be a writer, help her focus on her English and language arts work.

4. Practice a different subject everyday along with homework. By fourth grade, many students have started splitting away to different teachers for different subjects, spending half the day with one teacher and the second half with another. Work on subjects in all areas every day to get your fourth grader used to splitting their focus on multiple subjects.

5. Incorporate fourth grade math and science skills into everyday things around the house such as baking or doing laundry. These household duties involve math (measuring ingredients requires the use of fractions, a fourth grade skill) as well as sorting (math) and determining whether to use cold, warm or hot water and why (science skills).

6. Ask your child's teacher or school librarian for a list of fourth grade "must read" books for your child. Titles like Judy Blume's "Freckle Juice" or the Fudge series, Henry Winkler's "Hank Zipzer" series and Thomas Rockwell's "How to Eat Fried Worms" are good choices for boys. For girls, try some of the classics like Carolyn Keene's "Nancy Drew" series or Laura Ingels Wilder's "Little House" series.

7. Find ways to be involved with the school. If you have a special skill or talent, like art or accounting, offer your services to help the students. Being involved with the school encourages your daughter to be involved with her school.

Good Study Habits

8. Set a schedule when homework is to start and end. Stick to it. Children thrive on standard schedules and it's better to set a good schedule early before your child gets into middle school and is swamped with homework from a variety of teachers.

9. Practice study skills. This includes multiplication and division flash cards, math and spelling drills or exercises that help the student be competent.

10. Apply what the fourth grader is learning to his immediate life. Have him write simple letters to grandma and grandpa. Work out a simple budget for shopping--money you have versus what you can buy. Figure out how much dog food his 25 pound beagle is allowed to eat per day.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage the student. Acknowledge successes and allow time for rewards. Validate correct study habits and keep his goals in mind.
• Avoid the pitfalls of justifying or making excuses for not succeeding as a student. This day and age there are plenty of "reasons" not to succeed as a student, but in actual fact they are not true reasons. Anyone can succeed.