3 Reasons Why All Parents Should Be Involved in Their Child’s Education

For parents, it should come as no surprise that there is a long list of benefits that come from taking an active role in your child’s education. In fact, one of the biggest influences on a child’s success stems from how invested the parents are in his or her education. Getting involved in your child’s education can take many forms, whether it’s setting measurable, achievable academic goals together, engaging in regular and open communication with his or her teachers, or simply reading together for a half hour every evening.

No matter what approach you choose, the important thing is to take an active, ongoing interest in your child’s learning. Need any more convincing? Here are three primary ways that parental involvement benefits any student’s education.

Increased Academic Success

A study performed by the Center for Public Education has shown that children whose parents are involved in their education tend to demonstrate higher achievement in school regardless of ethnic or racial background, socioeconomic status, or their parents’ level of education. These students consistently complete their homework on time and, in turn, achieve higher GPAs and higher scores on high-stakes state assessments. In addition, parent involvement consistently correlates to higher attendance—a key indicator of high school completion.  

Improved Attitude and Motivation

When parents and caregivers set high standards and speak highly of education at home, it transfers to how a child perceives school. Students whose familes are highly involved in their education express loftier aspirations and increased motivation in regard to school through actions like enrolling in advanced classes and taking steps to prepare for college. Parents and caregivers who provide positive involvement take advantage of the opportunities and resources available to encourage their child’s interests, helping build self-esteem and strong social skills—both of which are key to success beyond the classroom.

Better Behavior

When parents and families foster a positive attitude toward school and learning, it tends to lead to better behavior in the classroom as well. In fact, students with a strong background of family involvement have fewer disciplinary actions taken against them, including detentions and suspensions. And less time spent dealing with disruptions and behavioral issues in the classroom means deeper learning for everyone.

Taking a more active role in your child’s education doesn’t need to feel like a high-pressure undertaking, even though the benefits for his or her academic success are huge. There are so many small ways to start getting more involved: brainstorm a couple of goals for the school year, be mindful of the kinds of things you say about school and education around your child, and take advantage of online communication and progress-monitoring tools available through your child’s school. Your interest and attention will go further than you imagine in fostering a love of learning in your child and supporting his or her achievement in the classroom!

Looking for a few more tips? Check out this blog post for a teacher’s take on how parents can help!

This post was originally published October 2016 by Megan Sternke and has been updated.