Thesis on Parental Involvement in School Activities

Benefits

• Parents are the most important influence in their children's lives --- at home and at school. As a matter of fact, the level at which a child's family is involved in his school and activities is more of an accurate indicator in predicting the success of a student than the income level or background of the family. Students with involved parents are more likely to:

  •Earn higher grades

  •Attend school regularly

  •Have better social skills

  •Be more motivated

  •Have more self esteem

  •Go on to college or other postsecondary education

  Students, meanwhile, are less likely to:

  •Drop out of school

  •Use drugs or alcohol

  •Become involved in violent behavior

How Can Schools Encourage Parents?

• A reported 86 percent of people believe that parental involvement is a key factor in improving their schools, and yet the lack of parental involvement continues to be one of the biggest problems schools face today. Schools can encourage participation by:

  •Providing parents with specific information on what they can do

  •Offering parent education courses

  •Creating an effective school-to-home and home-to-school form of communication and use it regularly

  •Holding parent-teacher conferences at least once a year.

  •Making use of the Internet and create classroom pages on the school's website so parents can easily keep up on classroom activity

  •Encouraging PTA/PTO participation

  Parents are more likely to become involved if they know they are wanted and feel like they are making important contributions.

Volunteer at School

• When families work together with schools, not only does student achievement improve, but so does teacher morale. Ask your child's teacher how you can help out in the classroom. Some ideas include:

  •Helping teachers do the prep work for activities

  •Reading with small groups or one-on-one with students

  •Helping out with special classroom projects

  •Tutoring students who need extra help

  •Volunteering to help chaperone on field trips

Becoming Involved at Home

• Helping your child with school activities, homework and reading at home is an effective form of parent involvement. Ways you can support classroom learning at home include:

  •Reading at home with your children

  •Providing real-life opportunities to support what is being taught in the classroom

  •Limiting TV time and guide what your child watches on TV

  •Providing adequate time and a quiet place for studying

  •Showing an interest in your child's progress at school

  •Encouraging discussion about what is being learned at school