Parental Involvement
in Your Child's Education

     Research has consistently shown that family involvement in a child's education is a critical and
     integral part of student achievement. On this page you will find some practical suggestions as to
     how, as a parent you can be involved with what your child is learning at school as well as links
     to articles and other related sites.

	Children learn first and foremost from their parents. PARENTS ARE TEACHERS, LEARNERS, SUPPORTERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. . . whether they view themselves in those roles or not. Children learned how to eat, talk, sit up and walk long before entering school. In fact, many children learn more from their parents in the first five years of life than they do from their schools in the next 10.
	A parent's role as 'teacher' doesn't end when the child enters school. Some of the ways that a parent's responsibility continues when their child enters school include: providing time and a place for doing homework, reading with a child, making sure homework is understood and finished, talking about what is being done at school, and continuing to learn how to help
	Parents can reinforce and monitor their child's progress in school. Again and again research has found that children who receive parental help are significantly better at reading than children who did not receive assistance from their parents.
	Language or educational barriers do not need to stand in the way of parents' being able to help their children: Children benefit from BEING READ TO....NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE!!! Reading comprehension will grow enormously when children who are learning English read aloud their take-home stories to their parents and then explain in their primary language what is taking place in the story Parents can help their children learn sight word vocabulary by placing translations on the back side of flash cards (with the added bonus of teaching parents English vocabulary words) It really doesn't matter if a parent him or herself is literate. What IS IMPORTANT is that the parent show an interest in what the children are learning, and demonstrate to their children that an education is something to be valued.
	The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children by parents or other family members. Read with and to your child daily!! Some effective ways you can help your child improve his/ her reading skills include: Read yourself! Your actions really do speak louder than your words and when you model reading, your children will want to follow your example. Make sure your children read every day! Reading - like shooting baskets and playing the piano - is a skill. Like other skills, it gets better with practice. Children who read more become better readers Schedule regular trips to the library. Make sure everyone in your family has a library card. While you are there, check out a book yourself! Read aloud to your children. Research shows that this is the one most important thing parents can do to help their children become better readers. Set aside some time each day for reading aloud. Even 10 minutes a day can have a big impact. Bedtime is a natural reading aloud time. Other busy families read aloud at breakfast or just after dinner. Give books as gifts. Make reading a privilege. Say, "You can stay up 15 minutes later tonight if you read in bed." Or you might say, "Because you helped with the dishes, I have time to read you an extra story.
	COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD AND WITH THE TEACHER Take the time to ask your child about what he or she is doing at school Read all communications or newsletters sent to you by the teacher. These newsletters will often include classroom expectation as well as information about what is being taught, and how these concepts can be reinforced and practiced at home Communicate with the teacher about anything you as a parent feel might be significant in helping the teacher to work with your child more effectively This might include such things as: Health problems Interests of child. Child's home responsibilities. Family structure (single-parent, step-parent, etc.). Difficulties with homework, textbook or school. Know that you are welcome to come into the classroom at any time.
	If you schedule allows it,VOLUNTEER IN THE CLASSROOM There are many ways that parents can help their child's teacher: help teachers in the classroom take materials home to prepare them for the teachers file student work Read with the children Help with art activities Chaperone on field trips . . . and many, many more!
	If your school district offers classes or workshops for parents, try to attend them if you are able

Strong Families, Strong Schools Click here to view a number of links to articles addressing family        involvement, family partnerships, positive character development, community support and federal
       programs that promote family involvement.

National PTA Standards for Parent Involvement Click here to read about the guidelines for dynamic       parent involvement programs including communication, parenting, student learning, volunteering and
      community involvement

Family/School partnerships Click here to read an article by the National Coalition for Parent
       Involvement in Education that looks at specific ways in which teachers, parents, administrators,
       and community leaders can work together to strengthen relationships between schools and parents.

TIPS---Teachers Involve parents in Schoolwork Click here for information about ordering TIP       interactive homework manuals (this one is geared more for teachers, but might interest parents)

Education Week article on parental involvement Click here to link to an article by Education Week on       Parent involvement. There are also a number of other links to related articles about ways that parents       can be a more effective part of their children's education. (definitely worth a look!!!)

Eisenhower National Clearing House: articles on Family Involvement Click here to look at
       articles in Family involvement from the Eisenhower National Clearing House.
       Includes:

• articles about parents being the first teachers children have and how they can motivate their children to become active and excited learners
• Perspectives and advice about how family and the community can help a child succeed in math and science.
• Resources to help parents and teachers collaborate in a child's education as well as resources to help parents and children do math and science in everyday living.

Harvard letter on Family Involvement Click here to look at a special issue of the Harvard letter that
       addresses various aspects of Family involvement (worth a look)

Articles from Early Childhood Digest: Ways to help children learn Click here to link to articles from Early Childhood Digest on ways that families, child care providers, and schools can work together to help young children learn.

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