How do Children reap the Benefits?
Results are beginning to appear in educational research after many years of intense effort to increase parent involvement in schools. There’s good news for schools where parent involvement is high, and the benefits for children are encouraging. When parents are involved in children’s schools and education, children have higher grades and standardized test scores, improved behaviour at home and school, and better social skills and adaptation to school.
When parents hear that they need to be more involved in their child’s school, the first reaction is sometimes a sense of guilt that they aren’t more active in the local Parent-Teacher Organization. If that motivates you to invest your time and energy into your local parent group, then you will certainly reap the benefits of that level of involvement in your child’s education.
Other parent involvement activities that benefit children’s educational development are to communicate with the teacher and school; discuss school activities with your child; and, monitor and supervise the child’s out-of-school activities.
Parents at all socioeconomic levels can “level the playing field” in their child’s education by taking the time to get involved. Teachers give kids more attention when they know their parents from school visits.
So, make it a priority to attend school events and meetings that will help you understand and support your child’s education.
Enrich Your Child's Learning Environment
Make your home a rich environment for learning. Dinner conversations, trips, games, reading time, family sports, appropriate supervision, home organization, and daily routines all contribute to your child’s academic achievement at school.
‘Meet the Teacher’ Day
Your first visit of the year is usually the day before school starts when your child finds out who their teacher is, and which of his friends are in his room this year! We make this a fun day to get into the excitement of starting back to school. Parents get a chance to meet the teacher and see the classroom where the child will be spending their days. Familiarize yourself with the material your child will be learning to prepare your home enrichment ideas.
Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher meetings can provide much-needed insight into your child's learning style, growth opportunities, social and interaction styles, likes, dislikes, and the myriad of challenges that you may otherwise not know about. The trick to think of two or three issues that you want to discuss with the teacher and have your set of questions ready that you deem essential before heading to the meeting.
This is your opportunity to voice any concerns you have about your child. Make written notes about important information the teacher gives you about your child’s test scores, homework, class participation and attitude, social adjustment, and curriculum; and compare them to see how there is an improvement in your child’s performance.
Ask the teacher how you can help your child achieve the goals for your child’s grade level. Be sure to remember the positive things the teacher says about your child to report to your child when you get home!
It’s great to get Involved With the Parent Group
It’s hard for busy working parents to attend every meeting or participate in every committee or event sponsored by the parent group. Smart parent groups divide up the work so that no one is overwhelmed. If the time for meetings is lacking in your life, go to the first and last meetings of the year, at least, so that you will know what is planned. Choose an activity or event that works for you and do your part to support the goals of the group.
