This section of the website is a collection of resources that are meant to aid teachers in promoting parent engagement in their classrooms. Each section has resources that a teacher can use and reconfigure to their own needs in the hopes that they can encourage more parent involvement without the onerous task of creating their own resources. A major focus of mine is practicality and these resources will provide educators with practical solutions for creating parent involvement.

 

Current research indicates that active parent involvement has huge implications on student achievement (Epstein, 1992, 1996; Hill & Taylor, 2004; Jeynes, 2016; Wilder, 2014; Wong et al., 2018). Parent involvement also plays a large role in promoting positive attributes for students such as, increased self-esteem and regulation, improved relationships between teachers and students as well as parents, and constructs positive expectations for students (Castro et al., 2015; Hill & Taylor, 2004; Oswald et al., 2018;  Wang & Sheikh‐Khalil, 2014; Wilder, 2014). The research is clear that parent engagement in a student’s academic journey can have positive outcomes.

 

Start of Year

 

The start of the year for many teachers, parents, and students can be intimidating. So many new situations. A new teacher? New class? New environment? These are all factors that play into a student feeling welcome, but it also has an impact on how parents feel.

 

In the Start of Year section, there are some practical resources that will allow a teacher to get to know their students’ family situations more intimately, while promoting an invitation to the parents to advocate for their child. The surveys give an authentic opportunity for parents to share their insight and experience of what is important to them and their child. You cannot deny that parents are truly the experts of what does and does not work for their child. The surveys also provide a type of invitation to the parents to be part of the child’s education. Invitations for parent involvement can play a vital role in solidifying whether the parents view themselves as an active participant in their child’s education and in the school community (Hoover-Dempsey et al. 2005; Hoover Dempsey & Sandler, 1997).

 

The start of the year package can be viewed as a snapshot of the expectations and guidelines that the teacher has in their classroom. It provides a transparent view of what the teacher expects and the processes that occur in the classroom on a daily basis, so no one is left in the dark.

 

Learning Celebrations and Providing Positivity

 

In the learning celebration section, there are various resources that educators can use to promote parent engagement in the classroom and bridge the gap between school and home. Encouraging parents to become more involved throughout the school year can be daunting. The learning celebrations are meant to create opportunities that parents can become part of their students learning while trying to accommodate their busy lives and diverse family situations. The learning celebrations are meant to be non-judgmental forms of communication between the parents, teachers, and students.

 

Research states that parents are usually concerned about interaction with teachers because it usually means that something is wrong. Learning celebrations attempt to promote the importance of being able to communicate openly about the successes and challenges for the students (Brock & Edwards, 2010, Graham-Clay, 2005).

 

Another goal of the learning celebrations is to encourage communication among the parent community and build social support for families. Creating a team approach between the teacher, parent, and student promotes positive relationships and student success (Epstein, 2010).

 

The learning celebrations can also have a positive impact on the student and parent relationships by creating teamwork between parents and students. These opportunities for parents and students to work together to create common goals have been shown to encourage an environment for role modeling of appropriate behavior and expectations and ultimately create an environment for success (Hill and Taylor, 2004; Stevens & Patel, n.d.).

 

Finally, when parents show their expectations and celebrate their child’s success this provides an environment that promotes student achievement (Wilder, 2014). There is also a very strong correlation between parents who are more involved in their child’s education and the parents that demonstrate that they have higher expectations for their children (Castro et al., 2015, Wilder, 2014). Parent involvement, which is promoted by learning celebrations, provides opportunities for parents to demonstrate their positive beliefs, attitudes, and values towards educational experiences. This parent involvement can provide positive reinforcement for students that learning, and school, is important (Wilder, 2014).

 

References

Brock, S., & Edmunds, A. L. (2010). Parental Involvement: Barriers and Opportunities. EAF Journal: Journal of Educational Administration and Foundations; Winnipeg, 21(1), 48–I.

Castro, M., Expósito-Casas, E., López-Martín, E., Lizasoain, L., Navarro-Asencio, E., & Gaviria, J. L. (2015). Parental involvement on student academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 14, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.01.002

Epstein, J. L. (1992). School and Family Partnerships. Report No. 6. Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Children’s Learning, Publications, The Johns Hopkins University, 3505 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 ($3. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED343715

Epstein, J. L. (1996). Perspectives and previews on research and policy for school, family, and community partnerships. In Family–school links: How do they affect educational outcomes? (pp. 209–246). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Epstein, J. L. (2010). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Routledge. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=625094

Graham-Clay, S. (2005). Communicating with Parents: Strategies for Teachers. 14.

Hill, N. E., & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental School Involvement and Children’s Academic Achievement: Pragmatics and Issues. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 161–164. JSTOR.

Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., & Sandler, H. M. (1997). Why Do Parents Become Involved in Their Children’s Education? Review of Educational Research, 67(1), 3–42. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543067001003

Hoover‐Dempsey, K. V., Walker, J. M. T., Sandler, H. M., Whetsel, D., Green, C. L., Wilkins, A. S., & Closson, K. (2005). Why Do Parents Become Involved? Research Findings and Implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106(2), 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1086/499194

Jeynes, W. H. (2016). A Meta-Analysis of the Relation of Parental Involvement to Urban Elementary School Student Academic Achievement—William H. Jeynes, 2005. Urban Education. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0042085905274540

Oswald, D. P., Zaidi, H. B., Cheatham, D. S., & Brody, K. G. D. (2018). Correlates of Parent Involvement in Students’ Learning: Examination of a National Data Set. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(1), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0876-4

Stevens, S., & Patel, N. (n.d.). Viewing Generativity and Social Capital as Underlying Factors of Parent Involvement. 18.

Wang, M.-T., & Sheikh‐Khalil, S. (2014). Does Parental Involvement Matter for Student Achievement and Mental Health in High School? Child Development, 85(2), 610–625. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12153

Wilder, S. (2014). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: A meta-synthesis. Educational Review, 66(3), 377–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.780009

Wong, R. S. M., Ho, F. K. W., Wong, W. H. S., Tung, K. T. S., Chow, C. B., Rao, N., Chan, K. L., & Ip, P. (2018). Parental Involvement in Primary School Education: Its Relationship with Children’s Academic Performance and Psychosocial Competence through Engaging Children with School. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(5), 1544–1555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-1011-2

 

Featured Image: Photo by Red Zeppelin on Unsplash