Parental Involvement – What Works!

I have read a few education articles recently, focusing on the types of parental involvement that have the most positive effects on student achievement.  The research findings confirm what many of us think to be the case, but there were also some tips which we may not readily associate with increased student achievement.  The good news is that many are subtle and most of them we are, as parents, probably already doing. 

While many of us envisage parent involvement as time spent in the building of our children’s schools, this is not always the case.  While I do not want to down-play the importance of any type of parent input (or how much we rely on our P and F committee!!), what we do at home has been found to be as beneficial or even more beneficial to our children than volunteering at Lindfield, showing up at school functions or being seen in and around school.  This is good news for those of us who may work long hours and lack the flexibility to ‘be seen’ on campus.  

Student achievement, in the case of this research encompasses; increased attendance, higher grades/test scores and better preparation for higher education (university). Here is an outline of some of the aspects found to be most beneficial to our students. 

• Monitoring homework
• Making sure children attend school
• Rewarding efforts
• Talking up the idea of going to university

Homework activities that encourage parent-student communication are great.  The significance of discussions with our children about the concepts they are grappling with in class can not be underestimated.  So, while independence with homework is always encouraged, we need to know and talk with our boys about, their learning at school.  Homework is a great segue into these discussions. 

We all know about the value of rewarding efforts with Lindfield’s wholehearted commitment to developing a ‘growth mindset’ in our boys.  Any adult involved in the development of a child’s academic and social/emotional potential needs to be mindful of how they reward them.  Focusing on how commitment and effort leads to advancement and achievement goes a long way to fostering a growth mindset both at school, and at home. 

Some of the subtler ways in which parents contribute to their child’s achievement at school are through: 

• Parental expectations
• Parent/child communication
• Parental style 

Both teachers and parents need to be mindful of how they communicate their expectations to children.  The expectations we are considering here are not the idea that the boys must ‘live up to’ particular standards, but rather the ones understood by the child without them being overtly pushed.  What was found in these studies to be most beneficial is the understanding of parental sacrifice to save for higher education, low-stress communication and a general agreement between parents and child about the value of higher education. Valuing education and expecting that is is an on-going process that does not stop when schooling is complete, is a subtle understanding that we must encourage.  Life-long learning is key and pointing out to our kids how we have continued to build on our own education over time provides them with a great model. 

Parenting styles and parent-child communication were also mentioned in the articles as having a significant effect on student achievement and success.  Our high expectations must be communicated in a way that is loving and supportive.  The big message here is that time spent with our children is more important than many of the more traditional ideas we have of parental involvement.  That is, time playing games, watching movies, engaging in hobbies etc. is as important than our involvement ‘on campus’ or ‘in the building’. 

To quote from one of the articles, “Academic involvement practices themselves, unless accompanied by love, may have limited impact on children’s academic achievement and well-being.”  So, the message is clear.  In order to boost our boys’ achievement at school, we need to support them at home.  While much of what we communicate about our values is quite subtle, the time we spend showing an interest in their academic development and personal interests cannot be underestimated. 

Jeynes, W. (2010). The Salience of the Subtle Aspects of Parental Involvement and Encouraging That Involvement: Implications for School-Based Programs. Teachers College Record, (Vol. 112, #3, p. 747-774)

Barth, P. (2011). Research: What Can Parents Do?  American School Board Journal (Vol. 198, #11, p. 32-33)

Ben Barrington-Higgs – Head of Lindfield Campus