Parental involvement in schools is beneficial for many reasons. There are many different opportunities for parents to get involved in schools, such as teaching physical activity, watching the kids at lunchtime and on breaks, or reading books to the class a few days a week. Parents can also be involved behind the scenes in schools, volunteering to organize events with the Parent Teacher Association, PTA, or help run fundraisers for the school.
Benefits for Children
Many of the benefits of parental involvement in schools relate directly to the children that the parents volunteer with. According to the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, when parents are involved in schools, children have higher test scores and better attendance. Children also tend to have better attitudes about school and better comprehension of their homework when parents are involved in the schools. This may be related to the fact that parental involvement takes some pressure off teachers, who are sometimes overwhelmed with work.
School Benefits
Whether parents are involved in classrooms or indirectly with the school in fundraisers or other activities, the school and school district also benefit. Schools generally have higher student achievement, which makes them look better for funding purposes. They also tend to have higher ratings by the parents when parents are involved. The North Central Regional Education Laboratory also states that schools with parental involvement have better reputations in the areas.
Teacher Benefits
When parents are involved in their children's schools, the teachers receive greater respect as parents realize how difficult the job is, according to the website Education.com. Teachers also have better communication with the parents about their children and a better understanding of all the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds that make up her classroom. Teachers may also get a relief from the stresses of having to supervise 30 children or more at once, even if only for an hour a week. If the teacher is less stressed out, she is likely to be a better teacher to the children.
Benefits to Parents
Parents that spend time helping out in classrooms generally feel better about their children's education as they can see what kind of a classroom experience their child is getting. Education.com states that parents also get a better idea of how to help boost their child's learning, outside of the classroom when the volunteer in schools. For example, a parent may see that her child's class is learning multiplication. She can then purchase a book about multiplication and practice with her daughter at night.
