Parkland Children’s Academy and Parent Involvement
Every parent wants their child to be the best that they can. What many parents don’t realize is that you and your involvement in their education can affect your child’s success a great deal. A lot of research has been conducted on the effects of parental involvement on achievement, with results showing that positive involvement correlates with positive achievement.
But what exactly is positive involvement? Here are a few ways in which parents can affect their child’s ability and achievement by being positively involved:
Love and loyalty
It seems fitting to begin with love, because as clichéd as it might sound, it really is the most crucial factor! It is important for a child to feel loved in order for him or her to have a healthy self-confidence and faith in their abilities. This means that a child should be told and shown that they are loved. Give them lots of hugs and praise them when they do well. This will create trust between you and your child, which will enhance their potential even more. Children aim to please their caregivers, and when they feel loyalty to them and from them, they cherish it and are motivated to please their caregivers.
Communication
Communication is key with children, whether for the purpose of achievement or for other reasons. Children need different kinds of communication at different times, and knowing when to do what is important. Children will sometimes need direct communication from you because as children, they need to understand things simply in order to carry them out. They will also need re-assurance, and once is sometimes not enough. Many parents may get frustrated with children when trying to communicate something to them and the child does not listen – but it may simply be because they need to be reminded or re-assured. To overcome this you must explain to them exactly what you would like from them and how it makes you feel and communicate your unconditional support to them etc., especially with regards to school achievements.
Another essential point to remember with regards to communication is to avoid negative statements and use positive talk instead. Children internalize a lot, so always use positive talk when speaking to them. Even in negative situations, try and talk about it in a positive manner. For example, if your child doesn’t do well in a particular aspect, acknowledge it but always pair it with positive talk like that they will have other opportunities to try again, or that they are still good at other things etc. By showing them the positive in negative situations, they will learn to do it for themselves in the future.
Parental style
In the field of child psychology there are four main parenting styles that range from “authoritarian” to being completely uninvolved. To be on either extreme is not recommended. It is best to fall within the middle ranges in what is known as the “authoritative” style. Authoritative parents understand the balance between rules and freedom. Researchers in the field would recommend that parents set rules, but not too many that a child feels constricted. Authoritative parents will also encourage mutual communication as opposed to one-way commands and strict instructions. The trick is to have your children respect rules but not fear you so much that they find you unapproachable. The parenting style will greatly influence many aspects of a child’s life, including general happiness, which are factors in school achievement.
Lastly, parents should trust the school they have chosen to fulfill their tasks properly. It is good for parents to be involved with the school by staying in touch with teachers and staff – in fact it is necessary, but they should not be over-involved and untrusting of teachers without good reason. Good parental involvement correlates with high achievement, and by following some of these guidelines; hopefully you can improve your child’s capabilities too.