If you are the parent of a child about to enter kindergarten, you may be wondering how you can be involved in your child's educational experience. Helping your child make the transition to kindergarten and establishing an early pattern of parent involvement is one of the most important things you can do for your child's future success.
Identification
Parent involvement can take many forms, especially when your child is making the transition to kindergarten. In addition to helping with and promoting learning at home, parent involvement includes communicating with the school, volunteering in the classroom and participating in parent-teacher organizations.
Significance
Research consistently shows that parent involvement positively affects a child's school experience, including academic achievement, behavior, social adjustment and attitude about school in general. One particular study, conducted by Christine McWayne, John Fantuzzo and colleagues, about the nature of parent involvement in kindergarten supports these findings. A summary of the study, "A Multivariate Examination of Parent Involvement and the Social and Academic Competencies of Urban Kindergarten Children," by McWayne and Marissa Owsianik, is published as part of the Harvard Family Research Project.
The study found that kindergarten students whose parents were involved in their learning "evidenced high levels of social skills and were observed to be more cooperative, self-controlled, and prosocially engaged in both home and school environments." These students also performed better academically than students whose parents were not as involved in their education.
Features
Parent involvement at the kindergarten level includes such basics as making sure your child eats right, gets enough rest and is ready for school each day. Packing supplies and picking out clothes the night before can make mornings less hectic for your child. In addition to reading daily and helping with homework, the Michigan Department of Education encourages parents to nurture and support learning in kindergarten by scheduling outings to museums, parks and other educational events, and to take advantage of learning opportunities in the house that can facilitate your child's learning. Another recommendation is to limit the amount of time your child spends watching television and playing video games.
Considerations
Establishing and maintaining an open line of communication with the school is a key component of parent involvement, and the sooner the better. Your kindergarten student will benefit from a healthy parent-teacher relationship. The National Association for the Education of Young Children stresses that when families are involved early in their young children's education and partner with the teacher, the students perform better and have a more positive attitude. Visit with your child's teacher early in the year and find out what method of communication the teacher prefers to have with parents. Then use it to communicate regularly.
Readiness
You can help prepare your child for kindergarten before the big day arrives. Talk to him about what to expect, answer his questions and discuss any fears or feelings of anxiety he may have. Take him to visit the school if possible, and let him play on the playground when school is not in session. This may help keep him from being so overwhelmed with new people and surroundings the first few days of kindergarten.
