The Importance of Parental Involvement in Education

During the pre-pandemic time, most parents would rely on teachers for educating their children. Children go to school for eight hours a day—somebody’s handling them, which is good news for parents who have to work full-time. When children get home, all they need to do is their homework.

But when COVID19 hit forcing children to study at home, parents realized the importance of parental involvement in education. In reality, regardless of the pandemic hitting, parents and teachers share the responsibility in teaching students. Both parents and teachers have to work hand-in-hand to ensure a child’s educational goals. But to what extent should you as the parent be involved?

The importance of parental involvement in education

In this article, you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of parental involvement, what are the challenges as a parent, and how to expand our roles as a parent in child’s education.

Advantages of Parental Involvement in Education

Your child will be more motivated and develop a love of learning with your support as a parent. Here are other benefits when you get more involved with your children’s education:

· Increases academic achievement

According to JHU, when there is parental involvement in education, comprehension and reading fluency improves. If a parent spends time reading with their children, they will feel more motivated to learn. Thus, their grades improve.

· Improves classroom behavior

An involved parent will know if their child is misbehaving and can discipline them accordingly. You can correct the problem too before it gets out of hand.

· Improves the quality of education

When parents are involved, the teachers also improve their performance. Remember to communicate with them better, so teachers would also feel appreciated.

· Addresses questions and a chance to voice concerns

When you have a good line of communication, teachers will get to know the students more that will them customize or personalize their teaching in the most effective way.

Disadvantages of Parental Involvement in Education

Some responsibilities are only meant for teachers, and some are only meant for you. Be careful not to overstep, otherwise you might encounter the following disadvantages:

· Parents can defer their child’s progress.

Remember that you are not the teacher, even if you have the best intentions at heart. There are times when parents would give wrong information that would only make it difficult for their children to learn.

· It can take too much of the teacher’s time

Some parents get excessively involved that they would call teachers and constantly ask how their child is doing.

· Too much involvement can damage your child’s social growth.

A child can’t be too much attached to their parents. Of course, we all love our children and want the best for them, that sometimes we thought that spending more time at home and in school with them can help. You should give your child room to grow. Let them learn how to develop on their own.

What are the Challenges of Parental Involvement in Education?

Finding time to get involved can be a struggle for working parents

Not everybody has the luxury of time, and not everyone can pay for a tutor either. If your child has the initiative to self-study that requires little monitoring from you, then good for him. But others aren’t lucky. They get easily distracted and would need guidance.

Creating a comfortable environment for parents

There are cases when parents can’t read or write or a language barrier between them and the school. This makes attending school talks for parents from different socioeconomic statuses a challenge. Our educational system must continue to work harder to make parents feel accepted.

How to Expand Your Role in Your Children’s Education?

The good news is, there are ways on how to address the above challenges. Check the below solutions:

1. Show interest in your child’s schoolwork.

It does not have to be a high level of involvement in your children’s education. Simply asking the children how they did in school or what they like or dislike about school shows that you care and can already make a lot of difference.

2. Organize an after-school club.

If you have extra time in your hands, you may help out fellow parents working full-time by creating an after-school club. You can use your creativity for programs that can help supplement what they’re already learning in school.

3. Cooperate in co-curricular activities.

There are many activities at school where teachers need help in organizing, such as talent shows. Consider volunteering your time and expertise when needed.

4. Join the parent-teacher association.

Attending meetings can help you get connected to fellow parents and learn issues that you may have overlooked. Another benefit is that it allows teachers to understand the students from their point of view. When you know the problems, you can work together to find the best solution.

5. Be present at school when possible.

I’m not asking for busy parents to sacrifice all their free time to show up in their children’s school. There are usually many opportunities that you can choose from depending on your schedule’s availability. There are field trips, conferences, parents’ nights, etc.

Keep in mind that it does not always have to be you. You can take turns with your partner or find a trusted relative who can help when you are not available.

If you have any other effective ways on how to improve your involvement in your child’s education, please feel free to share in the comments below. Like our children, learning should never stop for us, parents too.

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