7 Ways to Help Your High School Student Succeed

October 30, 2023 byEmily Ewen

3 min to read

A high school student wearing a red plaid shirt works on an online assignment at Connections Academy

From new classes and activities to taking on more independence and responsibility, making the transition to high school can be challenging for any student. And as a parent or Learning Coach, you want to do everything you can in order to help your child find success in high school, especially if you’re just starting out in an online school environment. We rounded up tips for parents to help students at home from our Connections Academy experts.

How Can I Help my Child Succeed in School?

1. Familiarize yourself with your student’s lesson requirements.

For the first few days of online school, take some time to help your child adjust by being ready to complete lessons with them in case they need help staying on track. This will help ease your child into completing the lessons on their own.

2. Establish a routine.

Routines help kids (and adults) know what to expect each day. They also help instill a sense of comfort. Try getting into a routine that works for your student and family—but remember, it doesn’t have to be rigid. Simply having a set wake-up time and schoolwork time, as well as set mealtimes can help your days run more smoothly.

3. Encourage your student to take responsibility for their schoolwork.

If you’re wondering how to help your child at home, one of the best ways is to motivate them to take ownership of their education: Coach your student to create a daily schedule and to complete all assigned lessons on time. Direct them to initiate contact with teachers if they have a question or are struggling with any lessons or courses. Explain to your student the importance of engaging in lessons.

4. Affirm and celebrate success in high school.

When you see your child succeeding, let them know! Affirm the actions that promote learning and redirect them when they get distracted.

A student using a laptop to research what high school students need to do to be successful.

What do Students Need to be Successful?

Daily habits are the building blocks for how to be successful in high school. Let’s explore some effective strategies that will help your student stay on track.

1. Engage with daily coursework.

Make sure your child is staying on top of their daily lessons by encouraging them to:

Read the lesson and textbook content, complete lesson activities, and watch tutorial videos and other resources embedded in the lesson.
Attend Live Lessons or watch recordings when they’re unable to attend live.
Create organized notes using key vocabulary words and lesson objectives as a guide.
Monitor due dates and scheduled tests and plan ahead to ensure timely completion and preparation.

At first, your student may need assistance with these organizational skills, but with practice they will become easier over time.

2. Check-in regularly to stay on top of grades.

Success in high school often involves students continuously checking in with themselves to make sure they understand their classwork. One way to check understanding is to have them explain the concept to you in their own words. Additionally, have your student review from their notes and ask themselves, “Do I understand this?” If the answer is no, the student can take action by rereading the lesson or textbook content, watching lesson tutorials again, or, if necessary, contacting the teacher or hiring a tutor.

3. Encourage your student to take responsibility for their learning and grades.

If your child wants to learn how to be a successful high school student, encourage them to take responsibility for their own success. To do this, high school students can:

Plan the day and manage their time so that assigned lessons are completed on time.
Determine best practices for studying and successfully completing assessments and put those practices into action.
Strive to excel and seek assistance if they aren’t successful with time management or study habits.