There are many ways that you as a parent can successfully get involved in your child's school-related activities. Parental involvement is positive for schools, as it enables you to provide helpful feedback on what is and is not working well in your child's school. Successful parent involvement in school activities also helps communicate how important your child's education is to you. Parental involvement activities can take place at home, school, in the community and through parent-teacher interaction.
At Home
It is important for parents to keep in mind that successful parenting begins with the way you interact with your children at home. You can help your children succeed in school by creating a supportive environment for them to study in -- one that has plenty of lighting, is quiet and ideally close enough to you that they can easily ask you questions when they arise. Encourage your children to do their homework at a specific time each day and then allow them only a maximum of one hour of television time each school night.
Communicate With Teachers
Parents can also communicate with teachers through email, phone and in-person visits. It is a good idea for parents to attend yearly conferences to discuss their child's progress in school. Paying attention to news from emails, newsletters and other parent notes is also an important way for parents to remain involved in their child's education.
Volunteering At School
There are many volunteer opportunities in schools for parents to get involved with. These include volunteering in the administrative office, in your child's classroom or in the school library. Parents can also volunteer for performances at the school, field days the school holds, its annual open house and awards assembly. Book fairs, family nights and parent-teacher organization (PTO) meetings are additional volunteer opportunities for parents. Parents can help their child's school with fundraising efforts as well.
Community Collaboration
Parents who wish to go above and beyond in their volunteer efforts for their child's school might wish to identify resources and services that could be integrated into the school to strengthen its programs and student opportunities. These resources could be summer programs for academically gifted students, sports camps, local community theater groups, parenting groups at the local library, community health services and community art classes for families.
