Parent Involvement in Education
Parent involvement in a child’s education is vital to their success. Many students do really well in school while others fail. There is an obvious correlation between the accomplished children and their involved parents.
I think that parents just need to be there for a child to succeed. If a mother is the head of the PTA it is easier for her child to do well. As head of the PTA the parent is able to know the due dates of assignments and then help her child complete the assignment. It is easier for a child to thrive when their parent is there with them while they are doing homework. If a parent just asks to see a child’s assignments they will feel like what they do in school matters, and then they will want to do well in school. This will give the child a feeling of reward, and everyone wants to work hard and receive a reward.
I would like to know if all children benefit when their parents get involved with their education. Are there some parents that are too involved? Where is the line drawn between not involved and being involved too much? Are parents supposed to still be involved in high school to help with their children’s success? What are the most common reasons why children fail in school? Why is there a lack of parent involvement?
Parent involvement in children’s learning will increase the chances their child will succeed. It is characterized in three different levels. Dr. James Comer of Yale University describes the first level as general participation. This is the most common form of involvement and this includes signing papers, going to conferences, and attending school sponsored activities. Sponsoring school programs and helping in the classroom is the sec...
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There are many styles of parent involvement and parenting styles. Parental involvement includes attending school functions, helping with homework, or simply showing interest in what is occurring in school. Parental involvement is also both social aspects and intellectually stimulating activities beyond schoolwork. Parental involvement has different components including: parent-child relationship, aspirations and expectations a parent has for their child, and parental involvement within the school. (Hoang)
“Parental involvement shows to be an important factor that definitely has an impact on children’s education. Parental involvement refers to amount of participation a parent has when it comes to school and their child/children’s life. Some schools foster healthy parental involvement through events and volunteer opportunities but
Family involvement today goes far beyond attending parent-teacher conferences, awards ceremonies, and chaperoning on school field trips. Educator’s expectations for parental involvement has changed, and there is a plethora of research that proves that involvement of parents in early childhood education is essential to the success of students. Research points to the following three points as the main reasons why parental involvement in early childhood education is important and beneficial:
Recent studies on parental involvement in education have found that there are many benefits for both the student and the adult when parents become involved in their children’s education. Without parent support, it is very difficult for a child to be motivated. From what I have seen growing up, only a small percentage of students are self-motivated, so it is absolutely vital that parents assist in the motivation process. I found this table to be particularly interesting and important.
Hickman, C. W., Greenwood, G. E., & Miller, M. D. (1995). High school parent involvement: Relationships with achievement, grade level, SES, and gender. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 28, 125-134.
Parent involvement affects all aspects of a child’s education. Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates of their child’s learning (Hopkings). Studies show that kids who know that their parents are involved and interested tend to take more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Schoolwork and grades improve. Work habits improve. Less work is handed in late. Fewer referrals for behavior problems are made. Attendance increases, and fewer kids show up late for class (Hopkings). With all this information documented it shows the true importance of parent involvement in education. The more involved the parents are, the better off each child will be. So when you become a parent, get involved in your child’s education!
Parental involvement promotes the social growth of a child. Children whose parents are involved in their education have many advantages. They have better grades, test scores, long-term academic achievement, attitudes and behavior than those with disinterested mothers and fathers (Gestwicki, 2001). Parents becoming involved in their child's schooling creates extra sources of social constraint to influence the child's behavior (McNeal, 2001). For example, parents talking to their children and becoming involved in the school conveys a message to the child of education being important. Parents should be talking with your children's teacher and letting her know about your family. The more she knows about your child, the better she will be able to connect with your child.
Parent involvement is a major topic of concern among policy makers, educators, and researchers (Brooks-Gunn, Duncan, & Maritato, 1997; Rouse & Barrow, 2006; Young, Austin, & Growe, 2013) for more than 20 years. School districts, educational leaders, and researchers all agree with the premise that strong school-family partnerships improve children’s learning and outcomes. Parents and schools, separately or together, represent noteworthy influences on the essential sources of support for children’s learning and development. Children develop within multiple contexts, and development and learning are optimal when effective networks and permanencies among these systems are created. Semke and Sheridan (2012) affirm methods
My parents were involved in my school experience in a very hands-on manner. As I was raised by teachers, my household was one of constant learning and exploration. My parents volunteered as much as possible within the confines of their schedules with work, etc., attending conferences and participating in the PTO of whichever school I was attending. My parents were the primary decision makers regarding my educational experience. I would say that their involvement in my schooling was a combination of all of the above!
Around twenty years ago the National Center for Education Statistics asked, “What are the Most Serious Problems in Schools”. I will link to every article referenced at the end of this newsletter. Parent involvement was a much larger issue in public schools. I think this shows it often is not the parent’s fault they are not more involved. Financial motives often can be cited by parents who don’t attend their students’ events. In Public Schools teachers said parent involvement was a serious problem: 25.5% overall, 20.6% in Elementary School, and 30.7% in High School. In contrast the Private School
A lot of children have two main educators in their life; their parents and their teachers. Parents are their first educators, the majority of what a child learns in the first few years of their life is taught by their parents. It is only when the child starts to attend an early years setting that they start to learn from another educator. Both parents and teachers continue being a major influence on their children's learning all throughout school and for the rest of their lives. The parents and the child's school both have important roles to play in the child's education and should therefore work together as a team. Parents can get involved in many different ways such as; getting involved with the school itself by helping in the classroom or supervising lunch and break times, or for those parents who work in the day and cannot find the time to help at the school they can get involved by; reading to their child at home, assisting with homework and other learning activities, teaching them songs or nursery rhymes and letting them help with everyday tasks like cooking, baking and chores. This can be categorised as: Involvement of parents in the school life or involvement of parents in supporting the individual child at home.
Parent involvement is one of the most influential aspects of student motivation. The parents are the initial teachers of the child before the child goes to school and encounters education through a teacher. If a parent is completely engaged in the learning process with a child, there can be growth between the child and the parent simultaneously. The parents set an example for the child, so that the child understands that help is in the classroom and at home. Alma Wright, a first and second grade teacher, believes that parents in the classroom are a good way to stimulate children. She says, “Their active participation is a positive influence. The school is open for parents to share their talents and motivate their children” (Drew, Olds, and Olds, 1974, p. 71).
Research shows that children do better in school when parents talk often with teachers and become involved. Kids whose parents interact with teachers usually get higher grades and test scores, develop positive attitudes about school, and are better behaved. Parents and teachers need to communicate on a regular basis, not just at parent/teacher conferences. But sometimes, a parent doesn’t know just how to go about getting involved or how to make that positive connection with the teacher and/or school.