While most parents know that starting an education fund early on for their child is crucial, knowing when to start the college and career planning process can be uncertain. Don’t wait until high school—that may be too late. Instead, consider early college and career planning as the foundation for a successful learning journey. Here are five practical strategies to actively involve parents in their child’s college and career planning.

1. Encourage Discovery

It’s never too soon to nurture your child’s curiosity and growth mindset. As a parent, you have the power to do this in numerous ways by cultivating your child’s love for learning, exploration and problem-solving. Engage in nature walks, involve your child in cooking and expose them to various music genres. Pose open-ended questions to ignite their thinking and jot them down on a whiteboard to keep them in sight. When your child learns to approach challenges with questions and curiosity, they’ll be better prepared to adapt, learn and succeed in school and their future career.

2. Start Early

Rather than waiting until high school, a more thoughtful approach to college planning begins as early as seventh grade or elementary school. When discussing your child’s future career path, explore their interests, strengths and ideas. What activities do they enjoy? Are they drawn to hands-on tasks like building things? Do they have a passion for reading and writing? Are they skilled in math or science? Perhaps they love music, playing an instrument or creating art. Use these insights to offer career suggestions that utilize their interests and abilities.

By ninth grade, you want to be sure your child has taken a career assessment, such as the free online assessment at https://wsccp.org. An assessment can help your child match their skills and interests to one or more career paths and consider careers they might not have considered.

3. Establish Good Study Habits

As a parent, you play a crucial role in helping your child establish a regular study routine. Good study habits are essential. Your child must learn that waiting until the last minute and rushing to do homework creates unnecessary stress and often results in careless mistakes. You are uniquely positioned to guide your child in scheduling and managing their time. Help your child make a 24-hour schedule that includes sleep, meals, school, socializing, leisure and extracurriculars. By setting aside a dedicated study time block, your child can better understand how they allocate their time.

Organization is also important. Create a clutter-free workspace. Introduce your child to to-do lists and calendars. Teach them to write down important tasks, estimate how long each task will take and list due dates in their organizational system. Teach kids to color-code materials, folders, and calendars. Color coding provides a visual system for categorizing and identifying different items. For example, using red for math-related items and blue for science-related items allows students to locate what they need quickly.

4. Establish a Solid Academic Foundation

From an early age, ensure your child understands the importance of doing well in school since grades are a factor in college admission. Provide a supportive home environment by discussing what your child is learning and showing interest in their progress. Attend school events such as open houses and back-to-school nights to stay engaged. Interact with your child’s teachers to understand your child’s progress. In middle and high school, meet with school counselors to ensure your child is taking the courses needed for their college and career educational requirements. Check teacher recommendations for academic resources for homework and study support. Have your child explore free homework-help websites like Khan Academy and Scholastic Parent & Child.

5. Encourage Reading

Help your child form the habit of being a lifelong reader. Make reading a shared activity. Read aloud to your child; as they grow older, take turns reading with them. Discuss the stories, characters and themes to deepen their understanding. Visit the library in person or online to give your child access to books and free online resources. Set reading goals. It could be reading several books over the summer or reading from different categories such as science fiction, history, or biographies. Setting targets motivates children to read on an ongoing basis. Regular reading increases comprehension, memory and attention, vocabulary and critical thinking skills, which are important for college and life.

High school isn’t the starting line for college and career planning—it’s the finish line. Rather than waiting until high school, consider starting the college and career planning process as early as possible. Stay involved with your child’s education. By doing so, parents can guide their child toward a successful learning journey and future career path.

Janet Lavender is the Founder and Executive Director of a non-profit organization Well Suited College and Career Planning Program, offering personalized coaching, scholarship planning workshops and resources on topics ranging from college application essays to interview techniques.