A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to volunteer in two of my son’s classrooms. For just a few hours I was able to focus solely on them. I got to have my son introduce me to his classmates, learn how to play “letter bingo” and watch my children as they interacted with their classmates. I also got the chance to talk to other parents volunteering in the classroom and once again realized that all of us only want the very best for our children.
As a trustee, I have always tried to visit school sites inside and outside the district to see what is working at a particular school, what is not, and what we as a community can do differently to help our children learn. The common component I find time after time is parental involvement. No matter where the school is located, what the socio economic area it finds itself in, or what the demographics of the community are, parental involvement is the part that is always present. It is also the one piece of the puzzle that we have the most control over and that can have a significant impact on the success of the school.
Children study in the public school (Photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection)
It is important to note that parental involvement does not necessarily mean opening one’s checkbook, though this can be critical in a tight budgetary environment. Instead, it is working with your children to complete their homework, talking about college at a young age so they understand what you as a parent want for them, and working closely with your child’s teacher so you understand what is going on in the classroom and can support that learning. These are the efforts that any parent or caregiver can make. Scientific research is now discovering what seems to be common sense. Parental involvement in a child’s education can set their child up for academic success.
After declining performance against school standards statewide, the Michigan Department of Education decided to do a study to find what component was missing from under-performing schools. What the research found is that a parent’s involvement in their child’s education can be the differential in a student’s academic success. In particular, the study found that a parent’s involvement leads to higher grades, better school attendance, higher self-esteem and decreased drug and violent behavior. Furthermore, this involvement in a child’s education is twice as predictive of a child’s success as is the child’s socio economic level.
What the research highlighted is that a parent who talks about the importance of education with their child, builds open communication with the student’s teacher and works with the student gave their child a better chance at handling the rigors of the educational process and became more likely to experience academic success. A supporting 1982 study found that when a child reads not only at school but also read aloud to their parents, grandparents or caregiver, the child made significant gains in their reading ability. Parents who are actively involved in their child ‘s learning will see their child’s education progress faster because of this work.
Further research has found that one of the most consistent predictor of a child’s academic success is the parent’s expectations for their child. Simply put, we often get what we expect. Parent’s who are talking about college success, expecting their children to do well in school, and talk about the importance of a quality education, the more successful that child will be.
As parents, we have a responsibility to set those standards high. It is important that we let our children know that the sky is the limit when it comes to their education and that we expect them to do big things with it.
This attitude first sets the bar high for the child at an early age. It also encourages them to reach high and avoid the mistakes and excuses that have held others back. Setting high expectations helps students to achieve more while building positive self-esteem as goals are met.
A final component of parental involvement that is interesting was the type of parental involvement. Research has found that parental involvement in certain forms is the most beneficial to the student. First, a family must have a daily routine that sets time aside for studying and any assigned responsibilities. Parents must monitor out-of-school activities so that students don’t get involved in potential dangerous situations. Parents must role model hard work and a commitment to education themselves so a child can see just how important both traits are to success. Finally, parents must encourage children’s progress in school. These practices will help a student to get excited about doing well and strive to do better. It has been found that if these components are evident in a student’s worldview, they are prone to academic success despite any challenge in their daily life.
Scientific research is telling us what any concerned parent could have told us long ago. A parent or caregiver who actively participates in their child’s education is going to have a more successful student. It has been estimated that children spend up to 70 percent of their time outside of the classroom. I encourage any parent or caregiver to set high standards for their kids, lay the groundwork of success for their children and work to build open communication with their child’s teacher. In that way the 30 percent of their time that is spent in the classroom will be all the more beneficial.
