How to Build Children’s Confidence as Students

School success requires many skills, but there’s something else that matters just as much: confidence. Students with self-confidence believe in themselves and their ability to learn and achieve. As a result, they are better able to persevere through challenging subjects and remain resilient, even when school is difficult or frustrating. Confidence is closely linked to academic performance. Students who are confident in their knowledge and skills are able to fulfill their potential in school and in life. It’s really about trusting in themselves to rise to new challenges and confront tough situations successfully.

Parents who want to provide academic support to their children at home should try to develop their young learners’ confidence in themselves. How can you do so? Here are several suggestions from Huntington on how to build your child’s confidence in the classroom: 

Talk about mistakes as learning opportunities. If your child receives a low grade on a homework assignment, have a conversation about what happened. Did your child misunderstand the directions? Did they hand in something incomplete or of poor quality? Did they not understand the material? Whatever the case, your child needs to know that they can control their effort. Acknowledging mistakes—whether caused by lack of effort or lack of understanding—is part of their growth process as a student and person.  

Remind your child that with preparation comes confidence in the classroom. Your child can vastly improve their self-confidence by taking ownership of their school responsibilities. If they go to school ready to learn, pay attention in class and do the work required to perform well on homework and tests, your child will likely do well in school.  

Point out your child’s growth as a result of their own efforts. Acknowledge when your child studies hard for a class and earns a good grade or raises a grade in a difficult subject after getting help from their teacher and/or a tutor. Taking pride in their own efforts is an important part of strengthening their self-confidence. As your child overcomes any academic hurdles, they will feel more confident about taking on new and bigger challenges too.  

Put your child in charge. Even if your child has hit a few bumps in school, your consistent message should be that school is their responsibility. Let your child decide how and when they do homework and put trust in them—even if you think they could be doing things better. Your child needs to feel the weight of their decisions, both good and bad. Letting them take control, make mistakes and learn from them is essential for them to become confident students. This doesn’t mean you step away completely. Be available for support, and most importantly, tell your child explicitly that you believe in their abilities.  

Have your child establish a good study and homework routine. One of the best ways parents can support their children in school is by insisting on a good homework/study routine, which isn’t always inherent. Generally, your student should embrace these nightly habits (and you can adapt them as appropriate, depending on your child’s age):  

• Review the digital planner or a paper-based one for all homework assignments and upcoming tests/quizzes.
• Prioritize the night’s assignments (going from shortest to longest and from easiest to hardest, or vice versa, depending on your student’s preference). 
• Check the school’s student information platform for absences, grade updates, missing assignments, and teacher communication about assignments. 
• Update the planner tool you prefer to use with anything new coming up (e.g., tests or project due dates, other activities, etc.).
• Tidy and organize the desk after finishing homework. Make sure the digital files are organized for easy access.
• Put all materials in the backpack for school the next day. 
• Look ahead at what is coming up for the next day’s classes (if the student is in middle or high school). 

Encourage goal setting. Setting goals can be a highly motivating activity for students, especially as they experience success in reaching them. The more your child attempts difficult things and achieves them, the more their confidence will grow that they have what it takes. So, talk about your child’s ambitions. Do they want to earn a certain Grade Point Average? Take Advanced Placement and honors courses in high school? Go to a selective university? Goals are good!  

If your child is missing skills or is far behind in one or more subjects, confidence alone won’t help them turn things around. Huntington can help. We can identify the skill gaps and any weaker skills that are contributing to your child’s low grades and low confidence. Our tutoring programs are individualized for students of all ages. Call Huntington at 1-800 CAN LEARN to find out how we can help your child.