How to Help a Fifth Grader Succeed in School

Succeeding in fifth grade builds confidence and self-esteem in a child. To help a fifth grader succeed in school, follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Basics

1. Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep--about 9 to 10 hours should do it. Give plenty of time in the morning to a healthy breakfast. Fifth-grade students still have growth spurts and need to keep fuel in their bodies to grow.
2. Check with the teacher if there are any homework clubs or study groups for fifth graders. Ask to volunteer and help with the study group. Try to get your son involved in school activities as much as possible. Start a word club where students bring new words to the meetings. Get into the habit of clearing up any words or symbols the student does not understand. Misunderstood words or symbols prevent the student from learning and applying what he learns.
3. Get agreement from the fifth grader that she doesn't know everything, and that there are subjects which she could learn about more. Discuss the subjects she studies in fifth grade. See if any clarification is needed to help her start off in the right direction. Language Arts is pretty vast in this grade with root words, suffixes, reading strategies, comprehension and poetry.
4. Set goals. Help her understand the purpose of learning and becoming educated. Play games with rewards like a trip to the mall if she reads two books outside of school time--pleasure reading. You can make a list for her.

Build Good Study Habits

5. Close the door to ideas "I am stupid," "I can't learn" and "I could never study." Start by practicing a subject each night for about 15 minutes. This can be combined with reading out loud for 15 minutes afterwards.
6. Establish a strict study schedule. After school or after dinner are good times to study. Encourage the student to practice and drill with division flash cards and word game exercises. In order for the student to be competent he needs to know the material and needs to practice good study habits.
7. Figure out ways to study in applied situations. See if he can divide his backyard into quarters or eighths. Create word problems with a trip to visit Grandma using gasoline prices per gallon versus how much you paid to fill the tank.

Tips & Warnings

• Read books as a parent and set a good example to encourage your children to read instead of watching television or DVDs.
• Validate the fifth grader for keeping good study habits. Reward him when he succeeds and keep encouraging by reminding him of his goals.