[Image: Adult teaching children]A key to children doing well in school is for parents to be involved in their education. That involvement can range from providing meaningful learning experiences at home to volunteering to help with school activities. Parents recognize that school success is crucial if their children are to have a positive future. Research shows students achieve more in school when their parents are engaged in their education.
Children whose parents are involved generally have higher grades and test scores as well as more positive attitudes and behaviors. And schools benefit from parental involvement in that there are long-term improvements in academic achievement, more successful school programs and more effective schools.
Researchers have identified several types of parental involvement in their children's education - including serving as teachers and preparers, learners, volunteers or community collaborators, as well as participating in school-home communication and getting involved in decision-making processes. Some parents are more comfortable with certain types of involvement than others. But all are valid forms of parental involvement.
For additional details, she provides these explanations of the several potential types of parental involvement:
- Parents as teachers and preparers. Parents are their children's first and most important teachers. As parents guide their children's behavior, they teach and prepare them for school. Parents providing meaningful learning activities at home for their children, prepare, support and enhance what is taught at school.
- Parents as learners. Parents can participate in educational programs that help them discover and learn ways to create a supportive learning environment for their child.
- School-home communication. This involves parents who attend and fully participate in parent-teacher conferences, respond to newsletters and other communiques from school representatives.
- Parents as volunteers. These are the parents who commit their time and energies in a wide array of school activities. These activities can include helping out in the office, serving as homeroom mother or father, being a member in booster organizations or serving as field trip chaperones, just to name a few.
- Parents involved in governance, decision making and advocacy. This parental involvement can range from Parent-Teacher Organization participation and school improvement team activity to holding office as a school board member.
- Parents as community collaborators. These parents work to establish and maintain community business and organizational support programs for education.
Schools have different philosophies of parent involvement, which basically fall into three categories: school-to-home transmission, interactive learning and full partnership for school success. Parents should try to determine what philosophy of parent involvement their children's school endorses by speaking with school administrators and teachers. Explore with school officials ways you can help your child succeed in school.
There are many ways parents can help their children in the educational journey. Some parents enjoy volunteering at their child's school; others have work or family responsibilities that make volunteering hard. Some parents like serving on school improvement teams that make policy recommendations; others prefer to work directly with their own child's learning activities. One type of involvement is not better than others. The important thing is that parents become involved to help their children succeed in school.