Schools, children benefit when grown-ups get involved

The start of school is just a few weeks away, and for many parents who are sending their kids for the first time, the anxiety is building.

Will my kid be ready to leave home? Will they like their teacher? What should I do to make sure they’re successful?

For most parents, the anxiety doesn’t end after the first week of school. They want to play a role in their kids’ education, but they might not be sure how.

There are always the usual routes — having bake sales, bringing snacks or volunteering in classrooms. No one underestimates the power of those activities.

Parent-teacher groups at some Santa Fe schools, for example, raise enough money during the year to pay the salary of a physical-education teacher.

But what kind of parent involvement will have a more direct affect on student achievement?

Anne Henderson, a consultant with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform in Washington, D.C., has some advice for parents who aren’t sure what route to take. She has studied the effects of parental involvement for more than 30 years and said there are three things parents can do to help ensure they and their kids have a successful experience at school:

u First, make personal contact with your child’s teacher or teachers. Making sure teachers know you and your child will make it easier to deal with anything that might come up during the year.

Being familiar with the teacher also makes kids feel more comfortable. “Kids are much more likely to bond to their teachers and their school if they feel safe and comfortable there,” Henderson said.

u Next, carefully monitor your kid’s progress. Henderson said parents should ask teachers to send student work home. They should also talk to kids about school, asking specific questions about their day.

u Finally, join the parent organization at your school. Some parents feel out of place in parent organizations or can’t make all the meetings, Henderson said, but it’s a good way to network with other parents and stay in touch with goings-on at school.

“Suppose your kid comes home and complains about a teacher,” Henderson said. “You have a group of people you can check with. That gives you the power of numbers.”

Jodie Wheeler, the parent of two kids in Santa Fe Public Schools and a member of their school’s parent-teacher group, said being involved in school helped her keep tabs on the school and make sure her kids were safe.

“I think it matters because teachers and principals see that you’re helping out and give a little extra for your kids,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said she has talked to teachers about homework assignments, upcoming projects and anything else that came up. “I think my kids benefited because teachers kept me in the loop,” she said.

Henderson acknowledges that not all parents — especially those in poor and minority families — have the time or the know-how to navigate school systems.

Immigrant families, Henderson said, are often unfamiliar with the American school system and hesitate to question teachers. “Let’s take a low-income family that’s come from Mexico (for example),” she said. “They may very well think, coming from the culture they do, that it is unseemly or rude or inappropriate.”

In the United States, though, teachers expect parents to be involved. “When parents don’t do that they often get labeled as unmotivated or that they don’t care,” Henderson said.

Instead, she said, schools have to do a better job of providing information to those parents and give them opportunities to take part in their kids’ education. “The more information and support they get, the more effectively they can play that role,” she said.

To make all their parents feel at home in schools, Henderson said, schools need to move away from the traditional meet-and-greets or open houses and lean more toward interactive activities. “Schools need to break those events down into smaller groups,” she said.

They should give parents time to spend with teachers and in classrooms so they know what will be happening during the year, Henderson said.

There is fear sometimes that parents will become too involved, too demanding of teachers. While that’s a remote possibility, Henderson said, the bigger problem is not being involved enough. Kids need parents who will take an active role, who understand how to navigate the system and who will provide the support they need to be successful.

“Being an advocate for your child is a very important part of (a parent’s) job description,” she said.

• Send your child to school each day well rested, fed and with a positive outlook.
• Take an active interest in your child’s schooling. Ask specific questions about what happens at school each day and how your child feels about it.
• If possible, set up a quiet, comfortable study area with good lighting and the school supplies that your child needs. This can be just about any place in your home; you don’t need a special room.
• Set a family “quiet time” when you and your child can work together on homework, reading, letter writing and playing games.
• Allow your child to study in the way he or she learns best. For example, some children work best when lying on the floor with background music playing.
• Make homework a daily activity and help your child develop good homework habits.
• Check homework, but don’t do their work.