Monfredo: Parent Participation is Needed for a Successful School Year

Sunday, August 30, 2015

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

“To reach a child’s mind a teacher must capture his heart. Only if a child feels right can he think right.” – Dr. Haima Ginott

School has begun in many school districts so it’s time to get families back into a school routine. Most importantly, parents are a child’s first and most influential teacher and must be part of the learning process. Together with their children’s teacher they work to support what is in the best interests of the children.

Research shows that no matter what the parents income or background was students with involved parents earned higher grades and test scores, enrolled in higher level programs, attended school regularly, had better social skills, showed improved behavior, adapted well to school and graduated and went on to post secondary education. Even with a very busy schedules parents can make a real difference in their child’s education by encouraging them to talk about their day and by listening to them explain the events at school. Talking to your child about school sends a message that you value their education and the discussions provide an opportunity for children to use language they are learning in school.

At home parents need to set up priorities at bedtime for sleep is at the center of a healthy lifestyle and in your child getting off to a good start at school. According to research it’s essential that parents keep a bedtime routine especially during school time. Another suggestion is an hour before bedtime put away all electronic devises to help them wind down and use that time for reading before bed.

Another wellness tip is for children to have a healthy diet for wellness and academics do go hand in hand. Eating fruits and vegetables is so essential as well as making sure that your child has the proper amount of physical exercise. Remember healthy students seem to do well in school.

Parents need to develop good management practices at home for their children such as homework time and packing their backpacks before turning in and placing them at the outside door. Speaking of backpacks parents need to retrieve them as soon as their children come home and get those papers out … sign permission slips and add appointments on the family calendar. Routines can be a potent force in keeping everyone on the same track. Consider checklist for the simple tasks of who gets to use the bathroom first and what’s for breakfast.

Now for homework…. Consider these strategies…

Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place t do homework. Try to avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions.
Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary,are available.
Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.
Help your child with time management.
Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.
Be positive about homework.
Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
When your child does homework, you do homework.
Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.
When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.
Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.
When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.
Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.
Stay informed.
Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.
Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework.
Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.
Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.
Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.
Reward progress in homework.
If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

In addition, parents also need to make every effort to meet their child’s teacher early in the school year. Teachers are always very excited about meeting their new students and the new parents. It is always best to make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher to introduce yourself and let them know you are there to support your child’s learning. Taking time to meet and introduce yourself and your child to the Principal is also a way to let your child know other adults at the school are there to help your child. These are especially good ideas to use if your child has special needs or if the family may be going through difficult times such as divorce, an illness or death of family member, or a recent or pending move.

Other ideas that I would suggest parents do are as follows:

Learn everything you can about your child’s school
Review the school’s handbook and the district’s web site
Contact the teacher immediately if your child doesn’t understand an assignment or if you notice a change in your child’s behavior or school performance.
Worth mentioning… participate in parent meetings and conferences and special events at the school. Do join the school’s Parent organization.
Remember the importance of reading for reading is a key to a successful school year. Here are some other tips to consider…
Read to and with your child every day (including weekends).
Make sure your child sees you reading regularly.
Talk to your child about what you are each reading. In addition to keeping your child on track, regular reading activities with your child will help you spot any possible problems in plenty of time to work with teachers and prevent them from becoming serious. So practice day to day reading and include writing by having your child write in a journal about the day’s events. Be consistent and have this done perhaps before bedtime.

Best wishes for a great school year and should you need any advice please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

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Monfredo: Parent Participation is Needed for a Successful School Year

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