Communicating with your child's teacher is one way to help him succeed at school. But just how often should you contact the teacher，and what questions should you ask？How can you help your child succeed in school？

Jerry Parks，a social studies teacher is. to share his thoughts. Parks keeps in touch with parents through emails，class websites，and phone calls. " Parents who take an active interest in their children's work and school well-being are one of the biggest contributors to my students' success，"Parks says. Children of involved parents typically have higher self-esteem（自尊）and have fewer behavior problems in school. And students' grades usually improve when their parents become involved.

Parks suggests the top 6 ways parents can help their children succeed in school: first，make sure your child is at school every day possible. Missed work is generally more of a loss than made-up work is a gain；second，set a time and a place for your child to do homework. If he does not have homework，have him use the time to read；third，keep in touch with teachers，but don't do it too much. Most teachers appreciate parents caring enough to keep in touch a few times a term but do not appreciate parents expecting to contact on a regular basis. Besides，it seems appropriate to ask the teacher whether she thinks your child is giving his best effort in class and whether she has noticed any significant changes in your child's behavior or grades. More importantly，teach your child to build a character—it will improve social and academic skills more than anything else. Some things are simply wrong，and the world your child will grow up in will punish crimes，so give your child a head start. Last but not least，make time every day to talk with your child about the day's activities. Let him know you care，and really listen to what he has to say.

How to Help Improve Your Child's Confidence

How can you help your child become more confident in school and prepare him for the stressful situations which inevitably(不可避免地)arise?

School Can Be Frightening for Kids

【小题1】 . Certainly, we get nervous from time to time, but it is easy to forget how the world looks to a child. Of course, some children , have more self-confidence than others, but for others, the school can appear to be a pretty frightening place. Helping your children to build their own confidence now will help them develop important skills that will help them throughout their lives.

【小题2】

Children like it when you pay attention to them. When your child is telling you something  that happened, do your best to give him your full attention and actively listen. 【小题3】 . You should make sure your body language communicates that you are listening as well. If you catch yourself not listening, ask your child to repeat himself and apologize for being distracted( 精神无法集中的).

Helping Kids Outside of School

Outside school activities are rarely a bad thing, so give your child encouragement to try new things. Clubs and groups are great opportunities and good places for your children to make new friends. 【小题4】 .

Being Open towards Your Child

This is a simple tip, but one to live by. 【小题5】 . Make sure your child realizes that you are a part of his team when he is facing difficulties. The world is much less frightening to a child who feels he is not alone.

   When the weather turns warm，everyone wants to be in or around the water. 【小题1】 Learning how to swim is important if you plan to be near water. Many organizations provide swimming instruction for people of all ages. Check to see what classes are available（可得到的）in your area.

【小题2】 Always swim with a partner，every time—whether you're swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake. Even experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps，which might make it difficult to get out of the water. When people swim together，they can help each other or go for help in case of an emergency.

Get skilled. Speaking of emergencies，it's good to be prepared. Learning some life-saving skills，such as CPR and rescue techniques，can help you save a life. 【小题3】 Check with your YMCA or YWCA，the local hospital，or the chapter of the Red Cross.

Know your limits. Swimming can be a lot of fun—and you might want to stay in the water as long as possible. If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim，don't go in water that's so deep that you can't touch the bottom and don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers. 【小题4】 But it's a pretty sure bet they'd rather have you safe and alive.

Swim in safe areas only. 【小题5】 No one can predict changing ocean currents（流），rip currents，sudden storms，or other hidden dangers. In the event that something does go wrong，lifeguards are trained in rescue techniques.

   A strong memory depends on the health and vitality（生命力）of your brain. They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks，but when it comes to the brain，scientists have discovered that this old saying simply isn't true. 【小题1】

Give your brain a workout. Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to“use it or lose it”. The more you work out your brain, the better you' ll be able to process and remember information. 【小题2】

Don't skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important to brain health, that doesn't mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss.

Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get now and the amount you need to function at your best. 【小题3】

Keep stress in check. Stress is one of the brain's worst enemies. Over time, stress destroys brain cells. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

Have a laugh. 【小题4】 That holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter involves multiple regions across the whole brain.

【小题5】 Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains,“healthy”fats and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it's not just what you eat — it's also what you don't eat.