When you were a child, you might not remember taking home a lot of homework or your parents doing a lot to assist you with your schoolwork. In today's competitive environment, however, the school's expectations for children have changed. Even children in kindergarten are taking home homework, and this homework often requires your help. In addition, the school may need your help fund-raising and with other projects.
Parental Involvement
The definition and amount of parental involvement depends on how old your children are and the school district. Some schools only expect you to spend time reading each day with your child along with assisting with homework, whereas other schools expect more involvement such as quizzing your children on spelling or math facts. In addition, you might be asked to help with fund-raising or chaperoning school trips. If you aren't sure what is expected of you, look in your child's papers that he brings home or contact his teacher.
Benefits of Parental Involvement
Schools don't ask for your involvement to relieve themselves of responsibility. School administrators know that children whose parents are involved in their education achieve more and are better adjusted. In fact, the best predictor of a child's academic success and social adjustment is the amount of parental involvement and the parent's satisfaction with their child's education, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Your child needs your help and support to succeed. Being involved tells your child that his success matters.
How to Get Involved
You may feel overwhelmed and confused about where to begin helping your child. Follow the instructions given to you by his teacher. If you are asked to read with your child for 10 minutes every weeknight, make sure that you do so, for example. Ask your child about his homework and check it before he turns it in. This will give you an idea of where your child is doing well and what he needs help with. When he brings home graded papers, look them over carefully. In addition, help your school with fund-raisers or by volunteering when you can.
If Your Child is Struggling
Most children run into difficult subjects or topics that are confusing or more difficult. Monitoring your child's activities will help identify these problems and indicate areas where you can assist him. If he is struggling, meet with his teacher and ask what you can do to help or where to seek tutoring if his problems are more than you can assist him with. Don't just hope it will get better; act as your child's advocate and play an active role, together with his teacher, to help him succeed.
