Get Involved In Your Child's Education

by Beth Stein

Children whose parents get involved in their education do better in school. Plenty of research supports this. Parental involvement is such an important factor that the National PTA is urging Congress to find funding for programs that help more parents get involved.

Many parents don’t need the extra push, however. They are ready and willing to get involved in their child’s education but aren’t always sure of the best way to do it. The following guidelines come from conversations with teachers and parents who have successfully gotten involved, as well as the National PTA.

Communication is key. Talk to your child’s teacher or teachers several times each year, in person or on the phone. Traditional parent-teacher conferences are fine, but most teachers say conversations in between also are necessary. Good teachers are glad to take the time to address parents’ concerns. “If a parent is not communicating with teachers, they’re doing the child a great disservice,” says Timothy Tyler, a longtime teacher in Orlando, Fla.

“Even if parents think things are fine, they should be talking, because that parent needs to realize the child he or she sees at home may not be the same child I see at school. I learn things from them I have no other way of knowing about the child, and they learn things.”

Volunteer at your child’s school. Whether it’s heading up a fund-raiser or simply offering to help your child’s teacher staple test papers together, being around lets you assess how things are going. Teachers always need help and appreciate it.

Familiarize yourself with your child’s homework and ask to see completed work—not to correct or criticize, but simply so you’ll have some idea what he or she is studying. A child may struggle with homework because it presents new material or concepts not adequately covered in school. If there are challenges, be patient and clarify specific problems with your child’s teacher.

Discuss report cards and parent-teacher conferences with your child. Ask how he or she would rate themselves on the various subjects. Where improvement is needed, ask for a commitment from your child. Monitor your child’s progress by asking to see test scores and completed assignments.

Don’t overlook the importance of social development. Difficulties with friends can affect your child’s performance in the classroom.

Listen to your child. Even little guys are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, both physically and academically. Sit down and initiate a conversation with your child about school. If he expresses negative feelings about a subject, chances are he is having trouble with it and needs help.

Beth Stein is a mother, wife, and newspaper columnist on parenting and women’s issues and is a regular contributor to American Profile.

first appeared: 8/12/2001