As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher, and the education that you give them lays the foundation for the future. However, many parents take a hands-off approach once their child enters formal schooling. I suspect that many parents believe that their child is better off in the hands of experts, and they can take a backseat. Well, this is a myth that we need confront. When your child enters formal schooling, your role as your child’s first teacher does not end; it gets more intense. Why? Because as the years pass, your child will be exposed to an increasingly tougher curriculum.

You may think to yourself, “I am not a trained educator.” That doesn’t matter. You have to become assertive and seek out resources that will make you the best parent-educator that you can be. Take spelling for instance. In the elementary grades, your child will be expected to learn how to spell a plethora of words. To assess how well they are doing, their teacher will usually have weekly spelling tests. Parents are expected to help their child prepare for these tests. You don’t have to be a trained educator for this, and there are plenty of resources that will help you choose the best strategies. For instance, we found this fantastic graphic that lists 8 ways parents can help their child with spelling. These tips and strategies will turn you into a world class spelling coach and may turn your child into a spelling bee champion.

As you can see, helping your child academically is not as hard as it seems. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, you have to be committed.