You may be wondering how being involved in your child’s education could have anything to do with how successful they are. But it does. Even if you don’t understand “new math” or remember what year Christopher Columbus sailed, you still have a lot to offer when it comes to your child’s education.
There have been studies conducted showing the importance of parent involvement. The most accurate predictor of success is not socioeconomic status or the prestige of the school. Students succeed when the adults in their life care. Parent involvement helps to foster a lifelong love of learning and encourages a thirst for knowledge and success.
What does it mean to be engaged?
Parents are engaged when they make an effort to share the responsibility of helping children learn and meet the educational goals set out for their grade level. Going to conferences, attending meetings, and volunteering at the school are all ways to stay engaged. Helping children learn at home also has its benefits.
Parent engagement means that not only are you helping and supporting the teacher, but you are also providing vital information that may be useful in the classroom for your child’s learning. The more the teacher knows about your child, the better able she is to enhance his learning experiences in a way that will be meaningful.
Why Engagement is Important
Over the last few years, there has been a decline in parent engagement. Is this in part due to technology? Many find it easier to send off an email than go into the school for a meeting or conference.
It is important to remember that parents and teachers working together contributes to a happy and healthy learning environment where students can succeed.
What Parent Engagement Does
Children whose parents are engaged are more likely to:
- Achieve better test scores
- Graduate high school and move on to post-secondary education
- Develop more elevated levels of self-confidence
- Be more motivated to learn
- Have appropriate social skills and classroom behavior
How you can Increase your Engagement
- Ensure the teacher has your contact information and that you have had an opportunity to meet face to face. It will help to make the teacher more comfortable reaching out to you when needed.
- Look for opportunities to be involved in the school. Volunteer when you can, help with or participate in classroom activities, join parent-teacher committees or the parent council.
- Share the goals you have for your child with the teacher. All the students don’t learn the same way or at the same rate. If your child has goals that may differ from the mainstream, be sure to communicate that with the teacher.
- Stay up to date with class events by reading newsletters and other communications sent from the teacher.
- If your schedule does not allow you to be at the school on occasion, ask how you can help or be involved during the off-school hours.
There are many ways for you to be a part of your child’s education. Take the first step and watch how it affects the attitude and the learning of your child. You will be surprised by how much your Involvement helps them to achieve a higher rate of success!
Related Links
Free Diagnostic Test to measure and diagnose summer learning loss.Back-to-School Worksheets designed to diagnose and remedy summer slide
Back-to-School Online Program to help your child succeed in the new grade
