There are many ways parents can get involved in their children's education. The various methods of parental involvement can be broken down into two primary types: home-based and school-based. Regardless of type, parent involvement in education seems to have positive effects on children's academics and general well-being, as well as on teachers and the parents themselves.
A common form of parent involvement in education involves helping the child at home.
Home-based parental involvement includes helping with homework, listening to the child read aloud and/or brainstorming about school projects. Even simply reviewing the school day with the child counts as a form of home-based parental involvement in education. About 70% of American parents get involved in their child's education at home at least once a week.
Many parents also get involved with their child's education at school. Often this involvement occurs on an occasional basis, such as by attending parent-teacher conferences once or twice a year. About two-thirds of American parents attend such meetings. Other forms of occasional parent involvement in education include attending schools' open houses and communicating with the teacher on an as-needed basis.
Some parents become even more involved in their child's school by volunteering on a regular basis and/or becoming active in the local parent association.
Due to the larger commitment, these types of parental involvement occur much less frequently than home-based or occasional school-based parental involvement. Traditionally, consistent involvement has been performed most often by highly educated, European-American parents. Schools can increase involvement by parents from other backgrounds by offering alternative schedules for meetings or, in the case of more recent immigrants, by having related materials available in parents' native languages.
Sources:
Hornby, Garry, and Lafaele, Rayleen. Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. Educational Review. 2010. 63,1: 37-52.
Pomerantz, Eva, and Moorman, Elizabeth. The how, whom, and why of parental involvement in children's academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research. 2007. 77,3: 373-410.
Home-Based Parent Involvement in Education
A common form of parent involvement in education involves helping the child at home.
Home-based parental involvement includes helping with homework, listening to the child read aloud and/or brainstorming about school projects. Even simply reviewing the school day with the child counts as a form of home-based parental involvement in education. About 70% of American parents get involved in their child's education at home at least once a week.
Occasional Forms of School-Based Parent Involvement in Education
Many parents also get involved with their child's education at school. Often this involvement occurs on an occasional basis, such as by attending parent-teacher conferences once or twice a year. About two-thirds of American parents attend such meetings. Other forms of occasional parent involvement in education include attending schools' open houses and communicating with the teacher on an as-needed basis.
Consistent Forms of School-Based Parent Involvement in Education
Some parents become even more involved in their child's school by volunteering on a regular basis and/or becoming active in the local parent association.
Due to the larger commitment, these types of parental involvement occur much less frequently than home-based or occasional school-based parental involvement. Traditionally, consistent involvement has been performed most often by highly educated, European-American parents. Schools can increase involvement by parents from other backgrounds by offering alternative schedules for meetings or, in the case of more recent immigrants, by having related materials available in parents' native languages.
Sources:
Hornby, Garry, and Lafaele, Rayleen. Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. Educational Review. 2010. 63,1: 37-52.
Pomerantz, Eva, and Moorman, Elizabeth. The how, whom, and why of parental involvement in children's academic lives: More is not always better. Review of Educational Research. 2007. 77,3: 373-410.
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