5 Secrets to Help Kids Do Better in School that May Surprise You

People ask me things like “How do I motivate my kids to do better in school?” or “How Can I help my child get better grades?” or “How do you motivate a lazy child to study?”

Below are 5 no-kidding, research and experience-based, surefire ways to boost kids’ brainpower and attitude toward learning for happier kids and a successful school year.

CREATE OR REESTABLISH A BEDTIME RITUAL.

Researchers found that children who go through a regular routine before bed at the same time every day (including weekends when possible) do better in school (Vermeulen et al 2018).

My guess is you already have a general list of things your kids do before bed that goes something like this:

Your kids bathe, get into PJs, brush teeth, choose a book for you to read or pick up the book they’ve been reading to themselves, read for a bit, say prayers, then you give hugs, and the lights go out. (That is, except for the soft glow from the hallway or action figure night light that scares off monsters under beds and cools panic after a nightmare.)

You’ll find that tightening your routine by making it as consistent as possible will provide your kids with the 9 to 11 hours of sleep, including naps, they need so they can do their best thinking—all the way through high school.

Their slower delta brainwaves must have adequate time to repair and regenerate brain cells as well as clean out debris to get your kids’ brains ready for a the new day.

HAND YOUR CHILD A GLASS OF WATER.

When kids get enough water, they focus and learn better, sleep better, get fewer stomach or headaches, have a sunnier outlook and have more energy to think (Riebel and Davy 2013).

Give your child enough water for optimal brain function and see what happens!

Here’s how:

- We all wake up dehydrated, so hand over 8 ounces of water first thing in the morning.
- Send your child to school with a water bottle.
- Get in the habit of handing your child a drink of water right after school.
- Remind your child to drink water during and after exercise.
- Offer another glass of water about 2 hours before bedtime to help your child avoid getting up at night or wetting the bed.

EXERCISE FOR 10 MINUTES—IN THE MORNING!

I know, life is hectic in the mornings. Yet studies show that when we pump up our heart rates for as little as 10 minutes, we not only get lots of oxygen to our brains, we stimulate cell division in the hippocampus, the big shot in the brain for long-term memory and learning (Dana G. Smith 2019). That is, kids who exercise in the morning, even for a little bit, do better in school.

So plan to get everyone up 10 minutes earlier.

A little bit of exercise in the morning revs kids’ brains for learning in a hugely powerful way to help kids focus, think, and reason.

Get in the habit of jumping rope and counting to 100 with your kids. Do a kickboxing video or Pilates together. The possibilities on YouTube are practically endless.

You won’t believe the difference that little bit of exercise will make in everyone’s day.

Including yours!

PROVIDE A MORNING MEAL WITH PROTEIN, FAT, AND HEALTHY CARBS FOR BETTER THINKING.

Notice I said “provide” and not “prepare”. It’s good for kids to be independent about eating in the morning. But beware the sugar cereal folly that jacks ‘em up, then makes ‘em crash. Besides, most of the nutrition is in the milk that often gets left at the bottom of the bowl.

Here’s some quick examples of brain-boosting breakfasts that kids can get for themselves:

- Microwave a prepackaged bean burrito.

As early as age 5, kids can learn to microwave a burrito for 30 to 60 seconds (read package instructions). That may sound crazy, but bean burritos provide carbs for energy without the jack-up-let-down thing that happens with sugary cereals and muffins or bagels. And the protein, fat, and fiber keep kids full longer for better thinking. For smaller or less than hungry kids, have them cut the burrito in half with a butter knife.

- Cut a piece of fruit in half to go with the burrito, or other breakfast items, instead of fruit juice.

Children can learn to safely cut an apple, orange, or banana in half, or they can grab a handful of grapes that provide vitamins, minerals, and energy that’s time released in the body because of the fiber.

AVOID FRUIT JUICE! It’s a sugar bomb that gets kids to spike and then tank about 20 minutes into class. Even 100 percent juice brands have as much or more sugar than a candy bar, and the fiber has been removed, so the sugar goes straight into the blood stream.

- Peel a hard boiled egg.

Eggs have healthy cholesterol and protein, and most important, they have omega fats that are essential for brain development. And they’re also good with half an apple or orange.

You can boil an entire dozen on the weekend and have your kids grab eggs for breakfast themselves during the week. If you’re too pressed for time to hard boil eggs on the weekend, some stores sell eggs already cooked.

- Make a nut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread.

Most kids can easily make this all-time favorite that provides healthy protein, fat, and carbohydrates for better thinking.

- Make sure your kids drink water in the mornings, not juice. Please. See number 2.

TEACH KIDS TO MAKE THEIR LUNCHES TO GET NUTRITION BUY-IN!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOVEMENT AND LEARNING CONNECTION.

It turns out that our brains are beautifully interconnected. For example, the caudate nucleus and hippocampus are right next to each other in our brains, managing short-term memory and movement, and long-term memory for learning, respectively.

If kids learn the rhythm of skipping rope with that middle jump in between, other things like reading and math concepts start coming into focus. Jumping rope is a great way to remember times tables and learn other things too.

Related article: 5 GAMES THAT BUILD KIDS’ SKILLS