Parental Involvement as a Important Factor for Successful Education - Essay Example

Synthesis Paper Synthesis PaperThe aspect of parent involvement in the education process is a significant issue since the 1980s. Currently, concerns regarding the quality of education are being voiced across the country. States are thus taking a greater role in examining and preserving academic standards. Furthermore, communities are more watchful of the goings-on in schools, especially with regard to the provision of high-quality teaching to students. Because parents want assurance they their children receive appropriate preparation to lead productive adult lives, they are becoming ever more involved in their children’s learning processes (Cervone and OLeary, 1992).

Parent involvement in the learning process, though largely untapped is a viable resource for schools struggling to offer its students quality instructions while suffering the limitations of diminishing funds. In addition, parent involvement in a child’s learning increases student achievement and enhances a sense of involvement in the child’s education (Coleman and Hoffer, 1987). Parent involvement typically means different forms of participation in the education of a child. Some of these forms include attending school functions and responding to schooling obligations such as parent-teacher conferences.

In addition, parents can become more involved in helping their children’s schooling through tutoring, modeling desired behavior and monitoring homework. Perhaps one of the most important schooling practices is parents’ work in the classroom. There are literally hundreds of journal articles, books and stand-alone reports on the subject of parent involvement in the classroom. These writings give expert opinions, offering sufficient information on the topic of parent involvement as a schooling practice.

It is apparent that parent involvement in the class and individual student learning is positively linked to achievement. Interestingly, the more a parent is involved in a student’s learning process, the more beneficial the achievement effects are. This holds true for all the aforementioned types of parent involvement in the schooling process regardless of the age of the student. However, the most effectual modes of parent participation are those that involve parents working candidly with their children in learning activities at school.

For instance, programs that involve a parent reading with the child, supporting the child’s class work and homework assignments, tutoring the child using materials and instructions provided by teachers show exemplarily impressive results in terms of student learning and achievement. Researchers have found that highly active forms of parent involvement produce greater achievement degrees than passive ones (Cotton and Savard, 1982). This means that if a parent reads and signs written communication from school, attends parent-teacher conferences and participates in classroom learning activities; greater achievement benefits accrue for a child than if there is no parent involvement.

The earlier the parent involvement in a child’s schooling begins, the powerful the effects of such involvement will be (Walberg, Bole and Waxman, 1990). Educators frequently assert the momentous function of the family situation in influencing a student’s success in school. It is apparent that the earlier the influence of parents in a child’s schooling is harnessed, the greater the probability of high achievement. Early childhood education programs that have strong parent involvement components demonstrate the effectiveness of the parent involvement approach to child schooling.

This begs the question, “what about training for parents who desire to become more occupied in their children’s learning?” Research in this area indicates that programs that encompass orientation and training to parents involved in schooling show maximum effectiveness with regard to upholding individual child schooling. This is mainly because parent training or orientation provides necessary tools to enhance effective parent involvement by, for instance, providing direction on send-home instructional packages and instructional games, which are all superior classroom practices.

ReferencesCervone, B. T., and OLeary, K. (1992)."A Conceptual Framework for Parent Involvement." Educational Leadership 40(1982): 48-49Coleman, J. B., and Hoffer, T. (1987). Public and Private High Schools: The Impact of Communities. New York: Basic Books, Incorporated. Cotton, K., and Savard, W. G. (1982). Parent Involvement in Instruction, K-12: Research Synthesis. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Walberg, H. J.; Bole, R. E. and Waxman, H. C. (1990). "School-Based Family Socialization and Reading Achievement in the Inner City.

" Psychology in the Schools 17:509-514.