Jenn HollowellEDUCATION: It’s a Full-Time Job
October 15th 2008 15:02
Like it or not, keeping track of and following up on your child’s education is a full time job (or, as some like to say, a full time responsibility). You don’t need a degree in education, but you do need to possess organizational skills and follow-through with what you say you’re going to do.
For example, if you say you’re going to look at your child’s assignment book daily – do it! If you say you’re going to email you child’s teachers daily to check up on assignments or appointments – do it! If you say you’re going to be available to work with your child daily on homework – do it!
This is obvious to some, but a constant challenge to others. Here’s something to ponder:
“The research overwhelmingly demonstrates that parent involvement in children's learning is positively related to achievement. Further, the research shows that the more intensively parents are involved in their children's learning, the more beneficial are the achievement effects. This holds true for all types of parent involvement in children's learning and for all types and ages of students.” – School Improvement Research Series
How can parents become better organized when helping with their child’s educational matters? Here are some tips:
· Set up a schedule for emailing similar to appointments on a calendar. If you keep a daily planner or a daily to-do list, this should be the first thing listed.
· Write your child’s assignments in a teacher’s planner (or a notebook set up in a similar fashion – the teacher’s planners are available through office supply stores, too). Check them off when they’re complete and, if they’re an on-going term paper or essay, make notes of the progress.
· Set a good example. If your child has a reading assignment, read with them. This can either be a publication of your choice, or materials they’re reading for school. Participate in active discussions about what they have just read.
There are a lot of books and websites geared specifically to parent’s involvement with their child’s education. If you expect them to do all of this on their own, they’ll flounder and feel like they’re not good enough. Or, they’ll develop bad habits that are very difficult to break. It’s up to you, reality mom, to mold them and help them shape their future.
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