| Whether children attend public or private schools, | | | | Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University is |
| they benefit when parents become involved in | | | | directed to teachers, it includes a number of |
| their education. According to the National Institute | | | | excellent strategies that parents can implement to |
| for Literacy, when parents or other family | | | | become active in their children's education. |
| members frequently read to children entering | | | | Communicate: Regularly communicate with the |
| kindergarten, those children were at a distinct | | | | teacher, either via parent-teacher conferences, |
| advantage over children whose families read to | | | | weekly progress reviews, or homework reviews. |
| them less often. | | | | Talk with the child, and have them share their |
| The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that | | | | schoolwork and school day experiences. |
| "Children who were read to at least three times a | | | | Volunteer: Volunteer to help out in the classroom |
| week by a family member were almost twice as | | | | or at other school activities. |
| likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading | | | | Home Learning: Point out the links between |
| than children who were read to less than three | | | | schoolwork and real life situations. Go on family |
| times a week." The study also found that, of | | | | outings that reinforce the concepts being learned |
| children who were read to at least three times a | | | | in school. |
| week: | | | | According to the National Education Association, |
| * 76 percent had mastered the letter-sound | | | | parental involvement in learning is crucial. As |
| relationship at the beginning of words, compared | | | | evidence, they cite the following findings of |
| to 64 percent of children who were read to | | | | research into parental involvement: |
| fewer than three times a week, | | | | * When parents are involved in their children's |
| * 57 percent had mastered the letter-sound | | | | education at home, they do better in school. |
| relationship at the end of words, compared to 43 | | | | * And when parents are involved in school, |
| percent who were read to fewer than three | | | | children go farther in school - and the schools |
| times a week, | | | | they go to are better. |
| * 15 percent had sight- word recognition skills, | | | | * The family makes critical contributions to |
| compared to 8 percent who were read to fewer | | | | student achievement from preschool through high |
| than three times a week, and | | | | school. |
| * 5 percent could understand words in context, | | | | * A home environment that encourages learning is |
| compared to 2 percent who were read to fewer | | | | more important to student achievement than |
| than three times a week. | | | | income, education level or cultural background. |
| The positive impact of parental involvement in | | | | * Reading achievement is more dependent on |
| learning doesn't end with kindergarten. Having a | | | | learning activities in the home than in math or |
| variety of reading materials available at home | | | | science. |
| helps older children with reading proficiency. The | | | | * Reading aloud to children is the most important |
| National Assessment of Educational Progress | | | | activity that parents can do to increase their |
| (NAEP) found that, among students in the fourth | | | | child's chance of reading success. Talking to |
| grade, "The 68% of students who had three or | | | | children about books and stories read to them |
| more different types of reading materials at | | | | also supports reading achievement. |
| home performed at the Proficient level, while | | | | * When children and parents talk regularly about |
| students who had two or fewer types of reading | | | | school, children perform better academically. |
| material at home performed at the Basic level. | | | | * Three kinds of parental involvement at home |
| Students who had 4 types of reading material at | | | | are consistently associated with higher student |
| home performed the highest." | | | | achievement: actively organizing and monitoring a |
| Similarly, students who discussed their studies and | | | | child's time, helping with homework and discussing |
| who talked about reading at home had greater | | | | school matters. |
| reading proficiency than those who did not. And | | | | * The earlier the parent involvement begins in a |
| students of all ages who regularly saw parents | | | | child's educational process, the more powerful the |
| and other family members reading at home were | | | | effects. |
| positively influenced. | | | | * Positive results of parental involvement include |
| In addition to having a variety of reading materials | | | | improved student achievement, reduced |
| available at home, discussing reading, and setting a | | | | absenteeism, improved behavior, and restored |
| good example by reading, there are a number of | | | | confidence among parents in their children's |
| ways that parents can create and nurture a | | | | schooling. |
| home learning environment. Although the | | | | There are many ways that parents can become |
| Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) | | | | involved in their children's education - the |
| program from the National Network of | | | | important thing is to become and stay involved! |