The Importance of Parent Involvement in a Child’s School Success
Parents tend to assume that they only need to monitor their children’s grades. Surely, schools have all the resources to do everything else when it comes to academic success. It’s a common misconception that keeps many students from achieving their full potential. It doesn’t mean that parents must become tutors on top of their other responsibilities, but they need to be more involved if they want to see better results.
Academic performance
If you want your children to have better grades, you must ask yourself what you are doing to help them. Even postgraduate students often need support from professionals like https://www.customwritings.com/dissertations.html to handle their workload. Why do you expect a literal child to do everything on their own? You might think that you’re teaching them independence, but what you are actually doing is setting them up for failure.
Encouragement and motivation. Show interest in your children’s studies to nurture their own enthusiasm. They will be more likely to put in the effort to overcome challenges and succeed if they believe that studying matters. Find out what interests them the most and encourage their curiosity. Show them how class material can be useful in their everyday lives and you will help them become eager students.
Communication with teachers. Keep in touch with teachers to build a bridge between home and school environments. Teachers can help you understand where your child needs extra support. This communication is also key to addressing any potential issues early on, such as learning difficulties or procrastination.
Homework support. No, parents shouldn’t do homework for their children. They also aren’t expected to become experts on school subjects. But they should get involved whenever they can offer valuable insight. Are you good at writing? Read your kid’s essay and give some constructive feedback. Did you love math at school? Explain complex problems in simple language.
Learning goals. Help your children decide what they want out of education – don’t make this choice for them. Start with short-term goals like improving assignment grades or completing a scary science project. Then, move on to something more ambitious like becoming fluent in a second language or joining a basketball team. Don’t forget to reward every little achievement.
Social and emotional development
School isn’t just about grades because this is the time when your children learn what it’s like to be part of society. Their social and emotional development right now will stay with them for the rest of their lives. If you want them to have a positive experience with education and successfully transition into adult life, you have to be an active participant. Don’t just throw them to the sharks and yell that they should swim faster.
- Monitoring behavior
Parents who stay involved with their child’s school life are better positioned to notice behavioral changes, positive or negative. This is how you catch the signs of bullying, peer pressure, and mental health issues early on. Reinforcing positive behaviors at home while also working with teachers and counselors will help your child have a healthier experience.
- Coping with challenges
School is a major source of stress, no matter how you go about it. According to research, 61% of students between the ages of 13 and 17 go through emotional distress because of their grades. Even if you don’t push your children at home, they still have to compete with their peers and spend most of their time studying. You have to be more attuned to their needs, helping them navigate stress.
- Promoting socialization
You can model positive social behavior for your child within a school setting. There are so many opportunities – parent-teacher associations (PTA), school events, or volunteering. Help children feel at ease and enjoy themselves in the same place that puts so much pressure on them. Teach them that they don’t have to dread going to the classroom and that teachers are their allies rather than prison wards.
It’s unreasonable and unfair to put heavy expectations on children’s shoulders without helping them carry this weight. You can’t truly be part of their lives if you ignore their education. But you don’t have to do everything at once – start with something small. Ask about their classmates and favorite subjects, bring them to events that reflect their academic interests, or offer some help with homework. Doing what little you can fit into your schedule is better than doing nothing at all.
