Research has shown that when
parents become involved in their child''''s
education, the student performs better than if the parents remain
distant. There are many right and wrong ways you can get involved more in
your child''''s education. Try a few of these ideas to make a significant
improvement in your involvement. Ask questions. The best
way you can get involved with your child''''s education is to ask him or her questions.
However, you need to try more than just the typical, "What did you do at
school today?" Try asking more specific
questions about lessons in
certain subjects. Do not accept "nothing" as an answer to your
questions. Rephrase the
question or try a different one to get a
response. If your
child is resistant to this type of questioning, give it
some time, but don''''t give up! Talk with the teachers.
Teachers may not always have the time to contact you about your student,
especially if your student is doing well or even satisfactory. They are
often too overwhelmed with problem students to be able to take time to give
glowing reports as much as they would like. However, if you make the
initiative to contact them and ask for a progress report or ask what you child
is learning in class, the teachers will be glad to oblige with a
response. It is also common for teachers to maintain websites or other
online resources for you to keep up with homework assignments, projects, and
lessons. Volunteer to
help at school. Yes, you are
busy. Everyone is busy nowadays. Try to take time out of your busy
schedule to volunteer at your child''''s school. Take a day off of work to
chaperone a field trip or volunteer to organize a bake sale for the Booster
Club. This will give you the chance to interact with other parents and
network with teachers and administrators. It will also show your child
that you do care about them and their education. Offer to help with
homework. This does not mean to do your child''''s entire science
fair project. You can, however, help them search the internet or books
for project ideas and even help color the volcano. This is a great way to
bond with your child and also keep up to date with what is going on in his or
her classes. Your "new" plight to get more involved may be met with
some resistance at first. Keep trying different questions and techniques
until you and your child find an arrangement that suits both of you.
More summaries about the Your Child''''s Education