By Teacher Ravisara
When it’s time for parents / guardians to send their child to school, they wish for their child to succeed and be happy. One of the keys to achieving this is through great communication and collaboration with their school. Having great parental involvement has proven to be beneficial as it shows a positive impact on their child’s academic, personal and social development.
Why Parent Involvement Matters?
When a parent/parents are involved in their child’s education, they not only tend to perform better academically, they also tend to perform better socially and emotionally. Parental involvement results in better attendance, positive attitude, and a great environment for their child, which shapes their future personalities and knowledge. It develops their child’s skills, self-esteem and self discipline. When parents are involved they can work together with their teacher to reinforce behaviours, values and attitudes both at home and at school. Getting involved helps in creating a positive and welcoming environment for growth and learning.
Benefits of Parental Involvement For Parents Themselves?
Parents benefit from being involved as well, not only students. When parents are involved in their child’s education, they learn more about their child’s development and are able to gain a better understanding of their childs needs. By being around the school and other parents, parents develop new skills and knowledge, they learn from each other, different ways to support their child in different situations and environments, They gain confidence and are empowered to do better for their child and themselves. When you know what is happening in school, you are in charge of building a stronger bond with your child.
Parent Involvement At Home: Approaches To Support Your Child
- Establish A Routine: Talk to your child about time, how long can they play for, how long till they sleep, how long can they participate in an activity at home for. This will help establish good routines and habits.
- Ask Your Child About Their Day: Engaging your child in having conversations with you to develop their language skills. Try to ask questions that allow them to elaborate on their answers. “Did anything funny happen at school today?” “Tell me about something that made you happy today”
- Read With Your Child: Try to make reading a regular part of your daily routines, whether it is when you reach home, when you’re going to bed, or even before you leave the house to come to school.
- Communicate With Teachers: Stay in touch with your child’s teacher and ask for updates on any little or big progress you see. This will allow you to identify areas where your child is excelling or may need extra support.
According to Marc Rosenthal, “Children learn best when the significant adults in their lives – parents, teachers, and other family and community members – work together to encourage and support them”.
