Parental
Involvement Improves Student
Achievement
When parents are
involved in their children’s education at
home, they do better in school. And when parents
are involved in school, children go farther in
school—and the schools they go to are
better.
—A New
Generation of Evidence: The Family is Critical to
Student Achievement. A.T. Henderson and N.
Berla. Washington, D.C.: National Committee for
Citizens in Education.
Parents want and need
information about what’s happening in their
child’s classroom and how they can help. The
information and resources presented here can help
meet that need.
Some parents and families are
able to be involved in many ways. Others may only
have time for one or two activities. Whatever your
level of involvement, do it consistently and stick
with it because you will make an important
difference in your child’s life.
Involvement can mean:
- Reading to your child
- Checking homework every night
- Discussing your children's progress with
teachers
- Voting in school board elections
- Helping your school to set challenging
academic standards
- Limiting TV viewing on school nights
- Becoming an advocate for better education in
your community and state.
Or, it can be as simple as
asking your children, "How was school today?" But
ask every day. That will send your children the
clear message that their schoolwork is important to
you and you expect them to learn. Here are just
some of the reasons it is important for parents to
be actively involved:
- The family makes critical contributions to
student achievement from pre-school through high
school. A home environment that encourages
learning is more important to student
achievement than income, education level or
cultural background. (Henderson and Berla)
- In 1994, the College Board found that
reading achievement is more dependent on
learning activities in the home than is math or
science. Reading aloud to children is the most
important activity that parents can do to
increase their child’s chance of reading
success.
- When parents are involved at school as well
as at home, children do better and stay in
school longer. (Henderson and Berla)
- When children and parents talk regularly
about school, children perform better
academically. (Aston & McLanahan, 1991; Ho
& Willms, 1996; Finn, 1993)
- Three kinds of parental involvement at home
are consistently associated with higher student
achievement: actively organizing and monitoring
a child’s time, helping with homework and
discussing school matters. (Finn, 1998)
- Parents who read to their children before
they enter school give their children a boost
toward reading success. Talking to children
about books and stories read to them also
supports reading achievement. (Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Inc. 1996. Developing Engaged
Readers in School and Home Communities.
Rahway, N.J.: Author.)
- The earlier that parent involvement begins
in a child’s educational process, the more
powerful the effects. (Kathleen Cotton and Karen
Reed Wikelund. “Parent Involvement in
Education,” Research You Can Use.
NW Regional Educational Laboratory.)
- Positive results of parental involvement in
their children’s schooling include
improved achievement, reduced absenteeism,
improved behavior, and restored confidence among
parents in their children’s schooling.
(Institute for Responsive Education. The
Home-School Connection: Selected Partnership
Programs in Large Cities. Boston:
Author.)
The World Wide Web offers an
abundance of resources to help parents help their
children. Some of the best are available here, from
both the National Education Association and other
sources, and we invite you to explore them by
selecting the “Research,” “NEA
Resources,” and “Other Resources”
links.
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