Parental Involvement in Primary Schools

Parental Involvement in Primary Schools

Description of Topic

Parental involvement also gives the student extra practice on the skills learned at school and makes them better students academically. Parents who are fully involved in the educational careers of their children contribute to their children becoming active contributors of the society.

Problem Statement

The parental involvement within our school needs improvement, so I intend to set up a group where parents can access a range of resources for helping them to engage more in the learning process of their child. They can meet other parents through coffee mornings and 'stay and play' times. In the past, we have arranged workshops for the parents to attend, but not many parents contribute to these, so we need to find an incentive or opportunity for the parents to engage more.

Background

From the beginning of time, parents have stayed focused and involved in the lives of their offsprings and served as their protector, guide, teacher, and life skills coach. Many different aspects of parenthood will eventually transfer to a classroom setting, where a parent would continue to support role and become involved in the education of the child. This involvement would change over time and with change would come adjustments (Epstein, et.al, 2002). This may either assist or hinder a child's ability to function and reach full academic potential. By doing so, they make sure that all the needs of their child, educational and emotional, are fully met and addressed. This became visible especially when the child is diagnosed of a disability. Parents of children with exceptionalities should let their child's teacher know that if any difficulties arise concerning their child, they will be there to help in any way possible. Parents should always make themselves approachable (Epstein, et.al, 2002). When parents build positive relationships with the teachers responsible for their child's success, they build strong foundations for their children and stay in touch with the progress of the child.

The lines of communication should always be open with a parent and a teacher. The parent and the teacher should discuss the best way of communicating. This could be through a weekly journal, email, or even over the phone. A child with a disability may have behaviors issues, which may cause issues in the classroom (Eccles & Harold, 1993, pp. 568-587). In case of any conflicts, parents are required to stay calm and approach the teachers immediately to identify the matter and come up with satisfactory solutions. Both parents and teachers should listen with an open mind. Parent/ teacher collaboration will usually determine what both the parties are required to do in case of any problem and how to come up with a corrective action. Teachers have a great amount of responsibility given the amount of time they have to complete lessons and tend to classroom conflicts. Therefore, parents must acknowledge how difficult their days must be (Eccles & Harold, 1993, pp. 568-587). Teachers deserve a thank you for all of the things that they ...