The Most Important Factor in Your Child's Education is YOU
We’ve all heard the research that says parental involvement makes a difference, but is it true? Is involvement really that important?
“The research is on target. I’ve seen the difference it makes when a parent gets involved. I’ve seen problem students turn around and become model students when Dad or Mom start coming into the classroom once a week to put up a bulletin board, grade papers, or help individual students,” says Jeffrey Daniels, father of four.
Tim Butler, father of six, agrees. “I think it’s important that the children see that you care. The real value is that the children see you at the school.”
Teachers collaborate this point of view. “As a teacher, I see the difference parental involvement makes in a child’s self-esteem,” says Tiffany Wilhemen, mother and Christian school teacher. “The child feels a sense of pride when his mom or dad comes in and talks to the class, reads to them, or works one-on-one with a student. They think, “Mom is here, so this must be pretty important.’ The problem is that those children whose parents never go on field trips, or visit the classroom, or even come eat lunch with them feel left out. That’s sad. Children spend so much time here at school that it’s only natural for the parents to come and take part.”
Why are parents involved?
“Why am I involved? “Because I want to know what goes on in the building, what the PTA is doing, what teachers are teaching -- all of it. We have a great school, and I want it to stay that way,” says Teresa Cleary.
Teresa also finds that because she is involved, she is listened to more when conflicts arise. “When there are battles at school over issues, I want my voice to be heard as a parent who has put her time in. I am there to build relationships so that I have a leg to stand on when the time comes to draw the line over an issue.”
What different ways can parents be involved?
“When I had three and four little ones still at home, I would do after hours things. The teachers would send work home with my son and I would do correcting or cutting out for them. Your time is limited when you have smaller children,” says Kristie Butler. “But there are things you can do anyway like go and eat lunch at the school and take the little ones. Now I’m involved directly with the classroom and teachers because I have three children in the high school and three in the elementary school.”
Often teachers can find ways that parents with limited time can help. “I encourage all of the parents to come in at least once a grading period,” says teacher Tiffany Wilhemen. “I have mothers who have made their own schedule for helping out in the lunch room, others come in once a month and put up a bulletin board. I had one mother come in and give drawing lessons four Fridays in a row. Ten mothers each make cupcakes once a month to celebrate all the birthdays in that month. I appreciate it when parents volunteer to share a special talent, talk about a place they’ve visited or volunteer to go on a field trip. Just about anything they are willing to do will benefit the children.”
Making the school volunteer friendly.
Not all schools are as welcoming to volunteers as others. And sometimes it’s hard for moms with small children to come volunteer. Some things have been done in schools to help with these situations.
Kristie Butler found that there was a lack of volunteers in the local elementary school because the parents didn’t know how to get involved or they had younger children. Sometimes volunteers showed up and didn’t know what to do to help.
Kristie decided to start a Parent’s Center. She was given an empty office to use and funding to get started. When teachers need something done they fill out a task card. When parents came to volunteer, they could choose a card and do the task. Parents could also choose to work in their children’s classrooms, on the playground, or in the lunch room. They could visit the parent center for a cup of coffee and watch a resource video on differents aspects of education.
The Parent’s Center sponsors Muffins for Mom in the spring and Doughnuts for Dad in January. Over ninety dads came for doughnuts and juice in January. “Many of them had never visited the school before,” says Kristie. They also sponsored a Dr. Seuss reading night for the whole family. “We hit all areas of the family --moms, dads and the family together,” says Kristie.
“One year we ended the year with five regular volunteers and when we opened the parent center the next year we went to almost a hundred volunteers,” reports Kristie.
Similar programs have proven successful in many elementary schools. If your school doesn’t have something like this, you may want to get a group of parents together and start one.
Whatever you do to become involved in your child’s education, whether it is cut out bulletin board letters, count Campbell soup labels or judge science fair projects, it will make a difference. You are the most important factor in your child’s education.
Katrina (Kathy) Cassel, M.Ed., lives with her husband, seven of their children, and an assortment of pets in the Florida panhandle. Katrina is the author of ten books.