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Tips for Getting Parents Involved in Their Child’s Education

Tips for Getting Parents Involved in Their Child’s Education

One of the best ways to ensure your students succeed is to get their parents involved in their education. Getting parents involved is especially important in urban areas. Parents and/or students may not be fully invested in the education process or may not speak English well.

It’s essential to reach out to these families, help them understand what is happening on a weekly, monthly, and term basis, and get them involved and informed so they can help their children succeed.

Below are ways to communicate with parents and get them involved in their children’s education.

1. Present at Orientation or Open-House Nights

Holding an orientation for your classroom is an excellent way to get to know the students you will teach this school year and the parents. This event also allows you to introduce yourself, discuss the topics you will be instructing and any field trips or classroom events that you already have planned.

Consider hosting an open house night after the first few weeks of the school year. Encourage students to show their parents around the classroom, explain items of interest, and look at any artwork that has been posted around the room.

It’s an excellent idea to have the textbooks and workbooks available for parents to flip through. Organize small activities that the children can do with their parents while they are touring the school, including scavenger hunts, puzzles, PowerPoint slideshows, self-portraits, reading circles, etc.

2. Send Home Positive Letters or Class Invites

Make sure parents and family members have an excellent opportunity to participate in the school community. If parents are aware of what is taking place in their child’s classroom, both academically and socially, they will be able to assist their child at home.

Instead of simply sending home a report card at the end of the term, send home positive letters regularly, highlighting the students’ unique talents or marked improvement in a certain area or skill set.

Extend an invitation to the parents to visit your classroom during or after regular hours (this works regardless of the grade level or course being taught). If instructing students of a younger age, ask parents to volunteer in the classroom, chaperone field trips, assist with fundraisers, and actively participate in other class activities.

3. Communicate With Parents

In addition to sending home positive letters and class invites, educators must maintain communication with their student’s families. There will always be academic, social, or disciplinary issues that arise, and parents must know what is going on with their child. By holding parent-teacher conferences, you can keep parents up-to-date on their child’s progress and ask them if they have any questions or concerns that they would like you to address.

Ask parents for suggestions since they are the ones who know the students best. In turn, give your own advice and collaborate to devise effective solutions if a problem has presented itself. Thank the parents for any time, effort, or advice they have put in to assist you or make the classroom or school a better place. I know, not all advice from parents is helpful. 🙂

4. Encourage Parent Volunteering

Requesting parent volunteers’ help during school hours can be an effective way to get to know families, increase productivity and supervision in the classroom, showcase your teaching skills, and bring a fun, new dimension to the learning environment.

Outside of the classroom, parents can assist with coaching or monitoring sports, helping with school-wide celebrations, attending Parent-Teacher Association meetings, and various other extracurricular activities. Parents need to play an active role in their child’s education and provide input that may be valuable to the teachers.

Encouraging parents to participate in class and school events is an effective way to achieve this while at the same time showing them what time and effort it takes to run a successful classroom. Let the parents walk a mile in your shoes, and perhaps they may come up with creative ideas to enhance the learning process.