| Most people have never even heard of it, many | | | | little counting games with them. For example, |
| educators have still to learn of it, yet it is a day | | | | when you go to the park, ask them how many |
| that many schools observed this year on | | | | boys have on red hats, or how many girls are |
| February 13, across the nation. An unusual flurry | | | | wearing something blue, or what letters they see |
| of eager parents took their children to school, | | | | in the sign displayed. Make up songs using the |
| visited their classes, enjoyed private or sponsored | | | | alphabet. You can help your child write his or her |
| luncheons with them and listened to special | | | | name. It is all about practice, practice, practice. |
| speakers. Organizers encouraged school districts | | | | Children generally like to do what their parents |
| to make concerted efforts to render the day | | | | do,therefore,capitalize on this. And children are |
| particularly parent friendly. NAAPID (National | | | | clever. They grasp things easily. Start to give the |
| African American Parent Involvement Day) | | | | impression that education is important to you... |
| celebrating its eleventh anniversary this year is | | | | that you are participating in the educational |
| the brain child of Joseph Dulin, an insightful Ann | | | | process. Start developing the discipline of |
| Arbor Michigan principal who decided to concretize | | | | participating in your children's education, from early |
| his Million Man March pledge by encouraging | | | | on. This means that you need to model the |
| parents to visibly demonstrate support of their | | | | behavior. If education is important to you, it will |
| children's education on this special day. | | | | become important to them... |
| Nor is it by accident that NAAPID is ensconced in | | | | Whether your household is headed by one or two |
| the month of February. The auspicious Black | | | | parents should in no way deter you from reading |
| History month celebrates the momentous | | | | to your children. Give a name to this special time. |
| contributions of African Americans and, of course, | | | | During this "Reading Time," "Family Time," "Family |
| that of some Anglo Americans without whose | | | | Learning Time" "Time to Read,"select topics of |
| support these tireless, brazen, formidable | | | | interest to them. As they get older, let them read |
| achievements would have proven less effective. | | | | to you. Yes, even through multiple mistakes, and |
| It is a month of reflection, of seeing how far we | | | | stumbling over unfamiliar words, let them read to |
| have come, as a nation,and how far we still need | | | | you. This process will give your youngsters the |
| to go. With the recent passing of Mrs. Rosa Parks, | | | | opportunity to become better at word recognition. |
| the commemoration of the birth of Dr. Martin | | | | As they become more fluent in their reading, |
| Luther King, Jr. in January, and the passing of Mrs. | | | | they will enjoy it and look forward to these |
| Coretta Scott King, measuring how far we have | | | | meaningful sessions. With this minimal investment |
| come is evident. What bellows how far we yet | | | | of carving out just one hour at least four times a |
| have to journey vis a vis our schools is the dismal | | | | week, your children's school performance and |
| achievement gap between students of color and | | | | confidence will soar by leaps and bounds. |
| their white peers. This yawning gap is a definite | | | | How about middle and high school students? You |
| litmus test of what yet has to be done. | | | | may say, " I cannot possibly help my children with |
| Notwithstanding all the pledges made on that day | | | | their work." Well, it does not matter. I repeat. It |
| (NAAPID) by parents to teachers, teachers to | | | | does not matter if you can actually tutor them in |
| parents, parents to their children and children to | | | | any specific course. But what you can do is |
| parents ... all these pledges raised like a banner of | | | | provide these blossoming minds with the |
| hope, and swaying in our idealism come tumbling | | | | environment in which they can work. |
| with the thud of a discus in the extant stark | | | | Turn off unnecessary noise. Limit telephone calls, |
| reality that to this day, on the average, a Black | | | | etc. during this "Reading time" or "Study time." |
| 12th grader has the achievement level of a White | | | | Make your home conducive to learning. |
| 8th grader. | | | | You want to limit the number of stimuli your |
| No doubt, fueled by this recommitment to | | | | children have to filter. You want to encourage |
| becoming more involved in their children's | | | | them to delve deep in thought, to immerse |
| education, many parents must have left school | | | | themselves in a particular task. You want to |
| that day resolving to fulfill their task of improving | | | | encourage your children to be more focused and |
| home, school, and community relations. The | | | | not scattered in their thinking. |
| problem is, however, that far too many parents | | | | Give Them Emotional Support: As a parent, you |
| are not clear on what that task really entails and | | | | are making a major contribution to your child's |
| how exactly to fulfill it. And it is precisely this task, | | | | education by just being there. Make your child feel |
| somehow not being fulfilled, that is partially | | | | important while doing homework. Just be there... |
| responsible for the woeful achievement gap | | | | OK, so you are fixing dinner, you are doing the |
| between students of color and their white peers. | | | | laundry, but they know you are there with them. |
| (Note that I said partially, because another crucial | | | | They are not hearing you laugh merrily with your |
| part has to come from the school and will be | | | | friends, having a good time, and wishing that they |
| discussed separately.) NAAPID should be every | | | | too could be talking on the phone with their |
| day not just one day of the school year. | | | | friends. You are all in this together... |
| What separates most students of color (as a | | | | One way you can expand your own horizons is to |
| group) from their successful peers has less to do | | | | be truly interested in what your children are |
| with socioeconomics, or number of parents in the | | | | learning in school. You can become interested in |
| home, or urban blight, or the usual suspects we | | | | that area of knowledge so that they will become |
| cannot control. The separation, the dismal chasm | | | | more intensely interested in it themselves. See |
| has more to do with issues regarding much | | | | how much things have changed since you were in |
| ignored and too often welcome facets related to | | | | school. Capitalize on the opportunity for you to |
| values and micro-culture. In other words, the | | | | develop or update your own knowledge base. |
| problems are definitely fixable. And parents can | | | | Show your children that you are a lifelong learner |
| start fixing them along with their children. Without | | | | because you can always glean new aspects even |
| question, parents of color want the best for their | | | | from the same old topics. |
| children, but I believe parents need to make a | | | | Do not just ask, "How was school today?" |
| few changes right where they are before they | | | | You really want to know, what new thing or |
| can see the kinds of changes in their children's | | | | things s(he) learned. |
| attitudes about school, attitudes about their | | | | "Tell me, in your own words, about what you |
| teachers, their work ethic, their grades, and their | | | | learned in Biology today..." |
| level of overall success. | | | | And be truly interested. Listen carefully. Ask |
| Following are two tips you as a parent can follow | | | | questions for clarification. |
| after NAAPID: | | | | See,When you allow children to explain... A |
| One tip is to believe that a solid education is the | | | | mysteriously important process occurs. It is called |
| sharpest tool your child needs for a brilliant future. | | | | meta-cognition. What happens is that as they |
| Many parents have already bought into the dream | | | | teach you, they are simultaneously teaching |
| but are stuck at the level of transmuting it into | | | | themselves. When parents make themselves |
| reality. | | | | available to be taught, their children are offered |
| Another tip is to Fortify Your Child with Abundant | | | | the opportunity to ask and answer important |
| Academic Support at Home: | | | | questions about areas that were not even clear |
| We hear all the time that poverty is one of the | | | | to them up to that moment. But as they struggle |
| major reasons that children of color do poorly in | | | | to explain it, the answers are revealed to them. |
| schools, or that single parent households is | | | | This is one way in which they really get it! |
| another reason. These claims are absolutely not | | | | Every day should be parent involvement day in |
| true. Despite economic privilege, a disproportionate | | | | children's education. You as a parent can make |
| number of children of middle income Blacks..are | | | | each school day extra special, and in this manner |
| not achieving at a rate comparable to that of | | | | the benefits of NAAPID will last longer than one |
| Whites of similar economic status. So something is | | | | day. The next celebration of NAAPID will then |
| still lacking. They may have to work hard at | | | | merely represent a rejuvenation, a special booster |
| overriding social pressures. | | | | of what you will have been doing all year long. It |
| Parents with children in the elementary levels can | | | | will serve as a prod, as an impetus. It will remind |
| help them with very basic education. There is | | | | you that you are committed to real change, and |
| really no need to leave all the teaching for | | | | that you are doing your part in hermetically closing |
| teachers. You can help teach them the alphabet, | | | | the achievement gap and keeping it closed. |
| numbers, and to distinguish basic colors. Invent | | | | |