Parental
involvement in child's education has positive
effect on achievement and behavior
Sun,
Aug 17, 2003
By
Steph Price
Truth
Staff
ELKHART
-- You'd be hard-pressed to find a study
saying anything contrary: Parental involvement
makes all the difference in a child's schooling.
According
to research cited by the National Education
Association, when children and their parents
talk regularly about school, children
perform better academically. Parental
involvement also helps by improving achievement,
reducing absenteeism and improving behavior,
according to the NEA.
Most
seasoned teachers will tell you that they
see a marked difference between a student
whose parents are involved and a student
whose parents are not.
But
some parents find getting involved a challenge.
Some working parents say they're too busy.
Some
are disillusioned by their own school experiences
to approach the school or anyone in it.
Others
are not sure what to do or would rather
leave education up to the trained educators.
Getting
involved, says one local expert, doesn't
have to be so difficult.
"It's
real simple," said Marsha Bass, an Elkhart
Area Career Center teacher and education
professional development expert. "The
first thing is -- just be there."
Bass,
a mother of two, recently developed a Web
site (www.educationcoffeehouse.com) to give
parents tips and ideas about how to be more
involved in the children's schooling. It's
"straight talk," she said, to help them
get through the sometimes-intimidating school
lingo.
"I
think there's a fear parents have of not
appearing educated themselves," said Bass,
"so they don't contact the teacher."
And
making a connection with their children's
teacher is essential for parents to become
involved, she said.
Teachers
-- and Bass has been one 10 years -- welcome
a phone call, e-mail or visit from a parent,
she said. They want to communicate with
parents and develop a rapport.
"The
worst thing is when the first contact with
a parent is when there's a problem," she
said. "At that point, parents are usually
defensive and teachers are frustrated."
Parents
should talk to teachers early in the school
year, she said, taking advantages of any
open houses or conferences or simply making
a phone call or dropping by.
Bass,
in her professional development materials,
urges teachers to do the same and contact
parents regularly.
"And
e-mail -- that's a great way to be in
touch with a teacher," said Ellen Moore,
Elkhart Community Schools' volunteer and
public relations coordinator. With e-mail
or by leaving a phone mail message, parents
don't have to worry they're interrupting,
she said.
"I
think parents and teachers think, 'Oh, I
might be bothersome,' and both sides tend
to hold back when really they need to connect
and talk openly," she said.
Talking
with the teacher isn't the only way parents
can and should be involved in their children's
school, according to Jim Haney, PTO president
at Beck Elementary School.
"There
are lots of things to be involved with,"
said Haney, whose daughter is will start
sixth grade in a few days. "Start by popping
into class."
Haney
said he often stops by Beck and spends
time in classrooms. Teachers and principals
largely don't mind, he said. In fact,
most are hungry for the parental interest.
"I
love to see parents in the classroom," said
Bass. "It beats never hearing from them
at all."
Still,
truly effective parental involvement starts
at home, most educators will say. "You
have to read to your kids, do things like
go to the zoo, go hiking or go to the
beach," said Bass. "There has to be quality
time at home. You have to at least connect
with the kids," she said.
Betsy
Delks of Elkhart, mother of three, said
she's made sure to read to her children.
She keeps them busy in activities such
as art classes and tennis lessons, but
she said she's more careful just to give
them her time.
"Teachers
can't do it all," she said. "We (parents)
have to be there to stress the value of
education."
Contact
Steph Price at sprice@etruth.com.
Parents
don't have to join the PTA to be involved
in their children's schooling. In fact,
most educators would say parental involvement
actually starts at home, not at school.
Here are suggestions local educators offer
for parents who want to be more involved:
Communicate,
communicate, communicate. Teachers say
they want to hear from parents and to establish
a relationship before any problems arise.
Most school systems (public and private)
have e-mail addresses and voice mail for
teachers -- easy ways to ask questions or
send a note of something a teacher might
need to know. Parents and teachers should
make connections early in the school year
and develop a rapport.
Volunteer
to mentor. Most local public and private
schools offer volunteer opportunities
for parents who are willing to spend time
each week mentoring a student. Elkhart
Community Schools' C.A.R.E.S. program,
for example, pairs a volunteer with a
student for 30 minutes a week. Volunteer
opportunities get parents into the schools
during the school day, helping them become
more familiar with curricula, school routine,
teachers and students.
Be
a room parent. Many local public and
private schools offer parents the opportunity
to "adopt" a classroom. The position might
include bringing snacks on special days
or helping the teacher teach certain skills.
Know
the school calendar. Parents who want
to be involved need to know what's going
on at school. They should have a copy
of the school calendar (and classroom
calendar, if there is one) to be aware
of conferences, field trips, recitals
or special presentations and other events.
Visit
the classroom. Most schools and teachers
welcome parent visits, even unannounced.
Parents who work might sit in on a lesson
during a lunch hour or spend a morning in
the classroom. Sometimes it's best to check
with the teacher ahead of time, but most
visits are more than welcome.
Attend
parent-teacher conferences. A key
part of hearing about a student's progress,
parent-teacher conferences offer parents
an opportunity to ask questions, hear
in-depth information about a student's
strengths and weaknesses and discuss any
behavioral problems or concerns. Most
schools try to find times when working
parents can attend.
Be
involved in government. School government
opportunitiesinclude everything from joining
to PTA to running for school board. At the
very least, parents can attend school board
meetings or read about the actions in the
newspaper. Schools and districts are ripe
with committees, giving parents an opportunity
to be part of decision-making.
Attend
as many events as possible. Science
fairs, plays, music recitals and academic
competitions offer opportunities for parents
to be a part of their children's education.
Parents usually are welcome to attend
or help chaperone field trips and other
similar outings or special events.
At
home
Check
homework. Parents should not rely on
a child's "yes" when asked if his homework
is finished, say educators. Instead, a consistent
time to complete and then check homework
works better. Sitting down with a student
for homework also gives parents an opportunity
to see what the child is learning.
Limit
TV, video game time. Offer useful,
educational opportunities instead, say
educators. Zoos, museums, nature hikes
or simple household chores help keep students
learning.
Read,
read, read. Educators say parents should
read to their children or, when their children
are older, see to it children spend time
reading. Older siblings can read to younger
siblings, too.
Set
family time. Working parents can find
a day in the week to establish as family
time, a time when parents and children
do something together. The time should
be consistently kept and might include
recreational or educational activities.
Check
the backpack. Often, children have notes
to parents, reminders or permission slips
that fall to the bottom of a backpack, forgotten.
Parents can check with their children every
day.
Give
children enough sleep. Growing children
(even teen-agers) need about nine hours
of sleep, some experts say. Parents should
see to it their children get to bed early
enough to sleep long enough to be well-rested.
