For me, every school year starts off more like a celebration
of a new calendar year – as the number of resolutions I make in September seems
to outnumber the ones I make in January.
I almost always scold myself for not starting supply shopping earlier. I also vow that “this year” I will do better
with planning and preparing (snacks, lunches, clothes, etc), staying organized
(with all the papers and obligations), and being involved in my children’s
education. I admit that I struggle to
manage all these things and some days my efforts are more successful than
others.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the day-to-day stuff at
home and work while also trying to tend to the basic needs or our
children. Being (or becoming) an
involved parent* can seem impossible when time and energy is precious. Yet, students, and schools, do better when
parents are actively engaged. Opinions
on what it takes to be involved or active greatly differ. So what does it mean to be an involved
parent? What are the benefits? What specific things can parents and families
do to be involved?
(*Please note that "parent" includes foster/adoptive parents, guardians, or other family members of a student.)
The US
Department of Education (through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act)
has defined parental involvement as “the participation of parents in regular,
two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and
other school activities, including ensuring:
-
that parents play an integral role in assisting
their child’s learning
-
that parents are encouraged to be actively
involved in their child’s education at school
-
that parents are full partners in their child’s
education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory
committees to assist in the education of their child; and
-
that other activities are carried out, such as
those described in section 1118 of the ESEA1 (Parental Involvement).
[Section 9101(32), ESEA]2.”
The benefits
of parent involvement are numerous and significant. Certainly, children of involved parents
receive direct and immediate benefits - they “are absent less frequently, behave better, (and) do
better academically from pre-school through high school.”3 Research done at the Southwest Educational
Laboratory showed that, “regardless of family income or background,
students with involved parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test
scores, enroll in higher level programs, be promoted, pass their classes,
attend school regularly, show improved behavior, adapt well to school, and
graduate and go on to post-secondary education.”4 Furthermore,
parents who volunteer their time at school can directly and indirectly impact
other children by serving as a role model and/or partner in the educational
process.
Some parents assume that being involved requires an
overwhelming level of effort, spending large amounts of time at their child’s school,
or being an expert in subjects their child is taught at school. However, there are many ways to be
involved. As parents/family members, we
have the primary responsibility for our child’s education. Most importantly, families need to support
the learning process and extend what the school is doing into the home. Things
that accomplish this are very easy to incorporate into the daily routine - in fact,
you might be doing some of them already. I have compiled a list from multiple resources 3,5 but the options are not limited to these.
-
Read to your child
-
Discuss the books and stories you read
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Read your child’s textbooks to increase
awareness about what your child is learning
-
Help your child apply what they are learning to
real-life situations at home
-
Help your child organize his/her time
-
Limit screen time, especially on school nights
-
Talk to your child regularly about what is
happening in school
-
Check homework nightly
-
Make sure your child has a quiet place to read
and study
-
Attend parent-teacher conferences, ask
questions, listen, and help set goals for your child
-
Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses at
school and discuss ways to help at home with your child’s teachers
-
Show a positive attitude towards school and
school personnel – children learn this by example
-
Ask specific, open-ended questions about your
child’s day, what they did in a specific subject or class
-
Emphasize student learning, and what your child
has learned instead of passing/failing
Opportunities to become involved
outside your home and with other children include:
-
Be a classroom helper
-
Make displays for special events
-
Help prepare communications from the teacher,
such as a monthly event calendar
-
Run errands to help collect supplies
-
Make copies or help prepare supplies for an
activity or lesson
-
Tutor or read with individual children
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Assist children with special needs
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Help in special labs, such as computer or
science
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Plan and work in fundraising
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Help coordinate classroom or field trip
volunteers
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Plan and accompany classes on field trips
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Assist coaches at sporting events
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Help out with arts and crafts workshops
-
Assist with a special interest club or drama
group
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Speak to classes about your career or special
expertise
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Connect with and support other parents, offer
guidance with becoming involved
-
Help write press releases or local news articles
-
Work as a library assistant
-
Vote in school board elections – know what the
candidates stand for
-
Participate in parent-teacher associations and
school decisions
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Help your school set challenging academic
standards
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Become an advocate for better education in your
community and state
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Ask your child’s teacher or other faculty/staff
member about other ways you can help
Once students reach middle school, they are more
independent, classes are structured differently and family involvement is less
direct. Typically, family involvement levels
in these upper grades drop off, even though it is still important. The National Education Association suggests that families, “participate
in school events, monitor homework, provide experiences and materials that
supplement school work, and help children with organizational strategies.”3
As I started working on this post weeks ago, I didn’t realize where my
research would take me, but I felt that it was a relevant topic being the start
of a new school year. I discovered that this topic is huge – not only as it relates to student achievement,
but in the success of our schools. There are multiple organizations devoted to parental/family engagement
and, as I started reading more, I found myself asking more questions about how
this information relates specifically to our community. As a result, I aim for this to be one of a three part series. Other parts will touch upon the factors that encourage or prohibit family engagement and parental involvement policies currently in place.
As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback. In the meantime, I hope that everyone had a
great start to the school year!
