The Greatest Gift – Parental Involvement in Childhood Education

By Gabriella Holt

The greatest gift a parent can give their children is their time and engagement during their children’s pre-school through grade 12 education experience.  The critical role of parental involvement in a child’s education has been examined in countless studies and reports. The research overwhelmingly supports the following conclusions:

#1 – Parental involvement enhances academic performance. Academic achievement increases when parents are actively involved in their children’s education. The more intensively involved the parents are, the greater the child’s academic performance.

#2 – Parental involvement leads to better classroom behavior. A parent’s interest and encouragement in a child’s education positively affects the child’s attitude toward school, classroom conduct, self-esteem, absenteeism, and motivation.

#3 – Parents should stay involved in their children’s education from preschool through high school. Studies have shown that involvement of parents of middle and high school students is equally as important as it is for the elementary school age child.  In high school, for example, a parent’s encouragement can make the difference between the child staying in school or dropping out.

#4 – Reading together at home greatly improves reading skills. Reading in particular improves greatly when parents and children read together at home. Reading aloud with a child contributes significantly to the child’s reading abilities.

#5 – Schools can encourage parental involvement in many ways. Significant parental involvement is most likely to develop when schools actively seek out ways to get parents involved and offer training programs to teach parents how to get involved in their children’s education.

#6 – Parental involvement lifts teacher morale. Schools and teachers benefit from parental involvement because involved parents develop a greater appreciation for the challenges that teachers face in the classroom, improving teacher morale. Communication between home and school helps a teacher to know a student better, which in turn allows the teacher to teach the student more effectively.

#7 – Parental involvement benefits children and parents. By becoming involved in their children’s education, parents get the satisfaction of making a contribution to their children’s education and future. They have a better understanding of the school curriculum and activities and can be more comfortable with the quality of education their child is receiving. They spend more time with their children and become able to communicate better with them.

#8 – Time constraints are the greatest barrier to parental involvement. Lack of time is the top reason parents give for not participating more in their children’s education. Effective solutions to enhanced parent involvement require freeing up time of parents and teachers or finding ways to work around their schedules.

Encouraging parents, particularly those of disadvantaged or underachieving students, to get involved in their children’s education is accomplished by requiring the education system to reach out to parents by communicating effectively with them and by providing opportunities for parents to learn how to assist their children.

Schools must communicate effectively with parents. Under federal law, schools are required to inform parents of their rights to be involved. Communication goes much further than simply notifying parents by written announcements or reports. Parents with limited English proficiency must be accommodated to the greatest extent possible with communication in a language that they understand.

A school-parent pact demonstrates a commitment by schools and parents to improve students’ academic performance. Under this pact, the school is responsible for providing a high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment. Parents’ responsibilities include supporting their children’s learning by monitoring attendance, assisting with homework, nightly reading and use of extracurricular time, volunteering in classrooms, and participating as appropriate in decisions pertaining to their children’s education.

Schools take an active role in building capacity for parental involvement.  Under federal law, schools are required to educate teachers and other school personnel about reaching out to and work with parents as equal partners. Schools are directed to offer materials and training to help parents work with their children, including literacy and technology. Schools also assist parents in understanding the state academic standards, monitoring a child’s progress, and working with teachers to improve achievement.

The following are some suggestions for parents who wish to get involved or become more involved with their children’s education. It is important to remember that doing even one thing on the list can make a difference in a child’s academic progress.

● Read with your children and talk with them about the books and stories you read

● Help your children work on homework assignments

● Organize and monitor a child’s time

● Attend and actively support school activities

● Volunteer in classrooms, on fieldtrips, or for special events

● Continue to be involved as your child advances to middle and high school

● Attend parent-teacher meetings

● Talk with your child about school on a daily basis

● Be an advocate for your child to make sure that the child’s needs are being met

● If a problem arises, address it quickly by requesting a meeting with the teacher

● Advise the teacher of any issues at home that may affect the child’s school performance

● Vote in school board elections

● Encourage and praise your child on successes and support and nurture them after poor performance

● Take classes at a community college or adult education program to demonstrate to the child that learning is important

● Participate in PTA or other parent organizations, school advisory councils, or committees

● If your child’s school does not have a program for reaching out to parents, become an activist and persuade the school or school district about the importance of parental involvement

● Consider involving grandparents, who may be retired and have more time, in their grandchildren’s education

Give your child the greatest gift, your time and participation in their schooling – something that money cannot buy.  Being involved in your child’s education not only helps your child to achieve more academically, but it also lifts teacher morale and provides you with the satisfaction of making a difference in your child’s education.

Resources:

Getting Involved in Your Child’s Education

http://www.nea.org/parents/index.html

Family Involvement in Children’s Education: Successful Local Approaches

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/FamInvolve/index.html

Gabriella Holt, President/CEO of Citizens for California Reform (www.reformcal.com), is the former President of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Board of Education and a Los Angeles County Probation Commissioner.  She can be contacted at Gabriella@reformcal.com or 310-732-1240