As parents, you know how important it is for children to do well in school. One of your top priorities may be to help your child get better grades. Here are ten simple tips to turn your so-so student into a model student.

1. Start with breakfast - a good breakfast is a key step to good grades. Children need the nutritional boost in order to focus and pay attention in school. A healthy breakfast will help them focus and get their brain in gear before starting the school day.
2. Teach note-taking skills - writing down the information your child hears in the classroom in their own words will help them remember and retain the information. If your child has trouble taking notes, ask the teacher if your kid can record the class with a small tape recorder and then re-listen and take notes.
3. Write assignments down - encourage your child to write down every assignment they're given in one place, like a dedicated homework pad. Have them write down what subject the work is for and when it is due. Review the assignments with your child and help her prioritize based on due date and effort.
4. Go through the back pack together - this is especially important if child is unorganized. Go through any hand-outs and or notes from the teacher. Throw out old information or archive it into a subject specific binder. Save old tests or papers and file them.
5. Be available at homework time - instead of sending your kids up to their room, consider doing homework at the kitchen table, with distractions like the radio and the TV off. You don't have to do the homework for them, but be available to help them. Keep the internet handy - so you can access it and monitor any "homework" research.
6. Help prep for tests - the night before a test or quiz, take the textbook or notes and ask sample questions. Be patient with your child if they don't get every questions right
7. Create more study time at home - once you get home, give a short cooling off period and then get down to work. Minimize distractions in the homework area.
8. Praise for effort - praise your child's effort in doing their schoolwork. Not every student is destined for high grades, so it's important to let your kid know you appreciate his efforts and not just high grades.
9. Figure out your child's learning style - children learn in different ways - through listening, seeing or doing something hands-on. Schools are geared towards auditory learning. Find ways to reinforce what they hear at school in their own style of learning and you may find that their grades start improving.
10. Make learning fun - not all subjects are equally interesting to all children. And some children never find any subjects interesting. But there are ways to make learning more fun - whether it's building a model of a pyramid during the ancient civilizations module or watching a documentary on King Tut together, you can find ways to enhance the learning experience for your child.