The importance of parental involvement in school

 MARCH 8, 2023 EDUCATION

Parents play a critical role in their child’s education. The involvement of parents in school activities and events can have a positive impact on a child’s academic and social success. Here, we’ll discuss the importance of parental involvement in school and how it can benefit children, parents, and the school community. Be sure to tune in for more information about parental involvement over the next few weeks.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

When parents are involved in their children’s education, they show that they value education and support their children’s efforts. This positive attitude can be contagious and can help to foster a love of learning in children. Moreover, parental involvement can help to create a positive learning environment, leading to better academic outcomes, higher attendance rates, and improved behavior.

Parents can participate in various school activities such as attending parent-teacher conferences, volunteering in the classroom, and joining parent-teacher organizations. Additionally, parents can provide support at home by helping with homework, setting aside time for reading, and monitoring their child’s progress. All of these activities help to create a supportive and encouraging environment that can inspire children to learn and succeed.

Parental Involvement in schools is very important!

Here’s a few examples: Our son was acting up in his Freshman English class. After a semester of the teacher feeling frustrated, she finally reached out to us. My husband and I both taught at the district and were able to be in the classroom within 15 minutes. Not to punish our son, but to support the teacher. Not everyone has the ability to drop everything and show up to class to have a quick meeting with the teacher and set an example of expectations for their child, but any effort you put into supporting your child’s teachers and being involved promotes a positive environment. However, in this instance, our son certainly turned his behavior around in this particular class.

Another example is with our older daughter. She was really struggling in her fourth-grade class. We attended several meetings with the teacher…this wasn’t a case of our daughter acting up, but she was lacking engagement because the class was a little louder than previous classes and she felt ignored and that the teacher wasn’t in control. Our sweet fourth grader started to shut down and focus on her own thing in class (making puppy villages out of clay). This was a tough situation because we needed our daughter to learn to trust her teacher again. Instead of negative comments, we praised the teacher, met with the teacher to hear about good things, volunteered for story time once a month, and generally offered our presence. It wasn’t long before our daughter started to offer support in the classroom as well. And instead of shutting down in class, she started to set a positive example of appropriate behavior in class.

Better Academic Outcomes

Research consistently shows that children whose parents are involved in their education perform better academically than those whose parents are not involved. The parental involvement helps children feel more supported and motivated to succeed academically.

When parents are involved in their child’s education, they can provide valuable support and guidance such as helping with homework, monitoring their academic progress, and advocating for them with teachers and school administrators. Moreover, parental involvement in school can help to reinforce the importance of education at home, which can have a positive impact on a child’s attitude toward learning. Again with a quick example. I taught at a Title I middle school with many students who were first-generation U.S. citizens, most of them coming from Mexico. Often, their parents didn’t have more than a third or fifth-grade education. They were in the United States for a reason: better opportunities for their children. However, these children knew that their parents didn’t have much education and many of them were successful business owners. The parents needed to make an effort to explain to their children the value of education – because many of the students had a “my parents aren’t educated and they are fine” attitude. The parents who worked hard to engage with the school taught their children that there is value in education.

It is important to note that parental involvement in school can have a positive impact on children regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. A study conducted by the National Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools found that the positive effects of parental involvement in school are consistent across all ethnic, racial, and economic groups.

Improving Attendance Rates

When parents are involved in their child’s education, they are more likely to be aware of their child’s attendance records and can address any issues that arise. Moreover, when parents are involved in school, their children may be more motivated to attend, knowing that their parents are interested in their education and supportive of their efforts.

A study conducted by the Harvard Family Research Project found that parental involvement in school is linked to improved attendance rates. When parents are involved in school activities, their children have better attendance records, and higher grades, and are more likely to graduate from high school.

I can’t tell you how many parents have no idea that their student skips school or class regularly. Some middle school and high school students show up for a class or two and sometimes hide in the bathroom for classes that are challenging. Parents need to check the attendance to make sure that the students are attending every class…and check those tardies, too!

Improving Behavior

Parental involvement in school can help to improve behavior by reinforcing positive behaviors and addressing negative behaviors. For example, parents can work with teachers and school administrators to develop strategies to address bullying or other behavioral issues.

When parents are involved in school, their children are more likely to understand the importance of following school rules and behaving appropriately in the classroom. Moreover, parental involvement in school can help to create a positive school culture that promotes respect, kindness, and good behavior.

Benefits for Parents

Parental involvement in school can benefit parents in several ways. First, it can help parents better understand their child’s strengths and weaknesses and how they can support them. Second, it provides an opportunity for parents to connect with their child and strengthen their relationship. Finally, parental involvement in school can help parents develop new skills, such as event planning, public speaking, and fundraising.

When you choose to send your child to school – you are choosing to trust teachers and staff at the school to contribute their expertise to help you raise a mindful, independent adult. It has to be a collaboration.