Tips for getting involved in your child’s education
Print
EmailStudent’s success in school is linked to the involvement of parents in their children’s education.
According to the National Parent Teacher Association, when parents are involved in their child's education, students’ learning improves and they become more confident; they also tend to take on more and achieve more at school. This can happen if parents, teachers, school and community member’s partner together to provide quality education.
As parents and adults, it is important to remember it is our responsibility to help children become educated. Education can take place in many different forms and ways, whether it’s formally in schools, participating in after-school programs, in extracurricular activities, in youth serving organizations or just in your neighborhood or backyard. Education can happen anywhere.
As parents and community members, let’s show youth the importance of responsibility and being involved in the community. A few ways of getting involved with your child’s school include:
- Volunteering to work in the classroom
- Being a member of the school PTA group
- Volunteering to help at recess or in the lunch room
- Helping with the after-school programs
A few ways to get involved in your community would include:
- Becoming a leader for 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
- Being a mentor for Big Brother Big Sisters
- Volunteering with the Literacy Council
- Becoming a 4-H Volunteer
- Giving your school or community organization a call and filling an empty volunteer niche
Here are some more ways parents can be involved in their child’s education:
- Attend parent-teacher conferences with specific questions you want to ask
- Understand and reinforce school rules and expectation at home
- Read classroom and/or school correspondence
- Read and know your school’s handbook
- Meet your child’s friends and get to know their parents
- Participate in parenting classes on child development, expectations, discipline, etc
- Build a child file at home with medical records, pictures, fingerprints, etc
- Discuss your child’s school day and homework daily
- Provide a quiet, well-lit place with basic school supplies for studying and homework
- Develop a consistent daily routine and time for studying and homework
- Share your interests, hobbies and talents with your children
- Provide children with books, magazines and develop a nighttime reading routine
- Watch selected TV programs together and then review and discuss them
To learn more about parenting ideas and how you can get involved in your children’s learning, contact your local Michigan State University Extension office.
