| Whether children attend public or private schools, | | | | Communicate: Regularly communicate with the |
| they benefit when parents become involved in their | | | | teacher, either via parent-teacher conferences, |
| education. According to the National Institute for | | | | weekly progress reviews, or homework reviews. |
| Literacy, when parents or other family members | | | | Talk with the child, and have them share their |
| frequently read to children entering kindergarten, | | | | schoolwork and school day experiences. |
| those children were at a distinct advantage over | | | | Volunteer: Volunteer to help out in the classroom or |
| children whose families read to them less often.The | | | | at other school activities. |
| Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that "Children | | | | Home Learning: Point out the links between |
| who were read to at least three times a week by a | | | | schoolwork and real life situations. Go on family |
| family member were almost twice as likely to score | | | | outings that reinforce the concepts being learned in |
| in the top 25 percent in reading than children who | | | | school. |
| were read to less than three times a week." The | | | | According to the National Education Association, |
| study also found that, of children who were read to | | | | parental |
| at least three times a week, | | | | involvement in learning is crucial. As evidence, they |
| | | | cite the following findings of research into parental |
| 76 percent had mastered the letter-sound | | | | involvement: |
| relationship at the beginning of words, compared to | | | | |
| 64 percent of children who were read | | | | When parents are involved in their children's |
| to fewer than three times a week, | | | | education at home, they do better in school. And |
| 57 percent had mastered the letter-sound | | | | when parents are involved in school, children go |
| relationship at the end of words, compared to 43 | | | | farther in school - and the schools they go to are |
| percent who were read to fewer than three times a | | | | better. |
| week, | | | | The family makes critical contributions to student |
| 15 percent had sight- word recognition skills, | | | | achievement from preschool through high school. A |
| compared to 8 percent who were read to fewer | | | | home environment that encourages learning is more |
| than three times a week, and | | | | important to student achievement than income, |
| 5 percent could understand words in context, | | | | education level or cultural background. |
| compared to 2 | | | | Reading achievement is more dependent on learning |
| percent who were read to fewer than three times | | | | activities in the home than is math or science. |
| a week. | | | | Reading aloud to children is the most important |
| The positive impact of parental involvement in | | | | activity that parents can do to increase their child's |
| learning doesn't end with kindergarten. Having a | | | | chance of reading success. Talking to children about |
| variety of reading materials available at home helps | | | | books and stories read to them also supports reading |
| older children with reading proficiency. The National | | | | achievement. |
| Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found | | | | When children and parents talk regularly about |
| that, among students in the fourth grade, "The 68% | | | | school, children perform better academically. |
| of students who had three or more different types | | | | Three kinds of parental involvement at home are |
| of reading materials at home performed at the | | | | consistently |
| Proficient level, while | | | | associated with higher student achievement: actively |
| students who had two or fewer types of reading | | | | organizing and monitoring a child's time, helping with |
| material at home | | | | homework and discussing school matters. |
| performed at the Basic level. Students who had 4 | | | | The earlier that parent involvement begins in a child's |
| types of reading material at home performed the | | | | educational process, the more powerful the effects. |
| highest." | | | | Positive results of parental involvement include |
| Similarly, students who discussed their studies and | | | | improved |
| who talked about reading at home had greater | | | | student achievement, reduced absenteeism, |
| reading proficiency than those who did not. | | | | improved behavior, and |
| And students of all ages who regularly saw parents | | | | restored confidence among parents in their children's |
| and other family members reading at home were | | | | schooling. |
| positively influenced. | | | | There are many ways that parents can become |
| In addition to having a variety of reading materials | | | | involved in their |
| available at home, discussing reading, and setting a | | | | children's education - the important thing is to |
| good example by reading, there are a number of | | | | become and stay |
| ways that parents can create and nurture a home | | | | involved!Brent Sitton is the founder of |
| learning environment. Although the Teachers Involve | | | | DiscoveryJourney has a variety of tools available to |
| Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) | | | | help parents with their home learning efforts. Our |
| program from the National Network of Partnership | | | | children's book reviews identify character trait and |
| Schools at Johns Hopkins University is directed to | | | | child behavior issues in the book. Each children's book |
| teachers, it includes a number of excellent strategies | | | | review contains 5 related fun and educational child |
| that parents can implement to become active in their | | | | activities to enjoy as a family, inspiring the passion |
| children's education. | | | | for learning and reading! |