Parents are an overwhelming force in the development of their child’s education. The Public School Review notes that parental involvement at a young age throughout a child’s development not only improves academic grades, but can improve classroom behavior as well as motivation and self-esteem. The Review also suggests that parental involvement is highly effective for disadvantaged students of minority or lower-income backgrounds. Not only can parents influence their child’s academic mentality, but they can directly influence their child’s teacher’s mentality as well. By being supportive and engaging with the school community, parental involvement through time and monetary donation can help create a more collaborative and inviting classroom for their child to thrive in.
Here are 5 simple ways parents can play an active role in their child’s education:
- PTA Meeting Attendance: PTAs serve as a vital source of information on school events and the future of your child’s education. While PTA meetings are the easiest way to stay up-to-date on the latest school news, many PTA organizations maintain social media pages on Facebook or Twitter that help parents stay informed, as well as respond back to questions and concerns from parents.
- Homework Help: Is your child struggling with coursework, or needs a refresher? There are many great online tutor sites that can help students at any academic level. Sites such as Khan Academy provide a great resource for parents and their children to share, giving step by step assistance with homework problems.
- Donations/Fundraising Volunteerism: Helping your child succeed takes resources, so try your hand at school fundraising! Technology has made fundraising easier than ever, with bake sales and car washes being phased out by crowdfunding sites and roundup donations. Crowdfunding sites allow users to make direct, one-time payments to the cause of their choice, while roundup crowdfunding builds donations through recurring transactions on user’s credit and debit purchases. For more information on roundups, take a look at our blog here.
- Parent Teacher Conferences: Don’t just talk to your child’s teacher once a semester! While Parent Teacher conferences are an easy way to meet face-to-face, monthly check-ins with teachers can not only give you information about how your child is doing academically and socially, but also information about ongoing school events or classroom needs.
- Goal Setting: Finding ways to motivate your child to learn and grow both inside and outside the classroom can help immensely! Talk to your child about how they’re doing academically, and help them find a reasonable improvement goal to reach each semester.
