Research on Parent Involvement

2. Research on Parent Involvement • Effects of Family and Parent Engagement • School attendance increases • Better attitudes about school • Discipline problems decrease • Children go on to higher education • Good Types of Involvement Programs • Emphasize academics • Monitor involvement at home • How to Involve Parents • Relationships are important: Build trust and respect

3. Benefits of Involving Parents Educating children is a tough job – no one entity can do it alone! • More can be accomplished as a team • Both parents and teachers experience “burnout” when all pressures are placed on them • Establish an equal partnership so everyone participates to help the child learn

4. Tension between Parents and Teachers • Parents are required to leave their child with a stranger all day • Schools must work to overcome barriers • Difference of cultural backgrounds • Parents who do not speak English • Schools can take the first step to link parents into education

5. School Resistance to Parent Involvement • Teachers are unsure of how to involve parents • Few opportunities to learn how to communicate with parents • Isolationist view • Classrooms are private - only the teacher and students belong inside • May need encouragement to invite parents in • More training must be provided on parent/teacher communication

6. Avoiding Adversarial Relationships Book: Including Every Parent, Patrick O’Hearn Elementary School • Set small goals • Improvement takes time and effort • Leadership of principal is key • ‘Walk the walk’ of collaboration, communication, welcoming • Show willingness to communicate • Employ a welcoming philosophy • Examine school attitudes about parents • Offer training for parents showing them how to help their children academically

7. Implications of Laws • No Child Left Behind and Put Reading First Initiative • Reading First was established as part of NCLB • Requires parent access to information • Only available in certain schools, but serves as model for all • Effective administrators have always involved parents; now schools are accountable for parent involvement • Tied to funding • Adds level of accountability • Ensures that parents in failing schools have access to information and services • Encourages rich partnership between parents and schools

8. Impact of Parent Involvement on Reading • Read Boston Initiative • Parents sign reading contract and read to kids 3-4 times per week • Result: gains in reading scores • Literacy can be the key to involvement • Parents want to know how to help

9. Parent Involvement Under NCLB • Title I Schools must: • Inform parents of services, programs and progress • Offer school choice program • Policy emphasizes parental rights and responsibilities • Allows parents to be better informed • Encourages advocacy

10. Building Motivation for Partnerships • As a teacher/administrator • Share success stories with colleagues • Models, examples from other schools can prompt discussion • Teachers and principals with vision can bring about change! • As a parent • Research your child’s problem • Be informed • Engage in positive dialogue with school faculty

11. Video Thomas Johnson School,Baltimore, MD Children’s Literacy Initiative • Guidance and leadership from principal • Expected parent involvement • Early Literacy program requires involvement • Evident when parents are/are not involved • Parents of absentees are called/visited each morning • Message to parents: School matters!

12. Overcoming Excuses • Expect involvement both from parents and schools • Reflect on practices at home and school • Identify the factors that impact reading achievement (positively and negatively) • Shared mission: Make reading a priority in school and at home • Set clear goals, develop a plan • Analyze data • Create incentives for involvement • Partnership with public library – rewards kids for visiting • Self knowledge and examination of current system is crucial for success

13. Involving Parents and the Community Children are a community’s greatest resource • Call upon existing strengths within the community • Use data to influence involvement • Student surveys about reading habits at home • Advice for principals: • Examine school culture • Identify areas of strength and weakness • Capitalize on strengths and work to reduce barriers to reading proficiency

14. Teachers • Find what works through research and experience • Examine practice within and across grade levels • Standardize practices • What works? What is based in research? • Get the rest out of the way • Encourage collaboration • Create opportunities for discussion • Set aside time during the work day to allow the staff to discuss methods and coordinate vision

15. Encouraging Parent Involvement • Involve community organizations • Go where the parents are: church, grocery store, local businesses, etc. • Establish ‘family room’ • Supply books • Talk to parents • Offer workshops • Allow classroom observation • Share strategies both parents and teachers have found • Encourage communication of ideas • Makes parents feel involved and gives teachers valuable information

16. Making it Work in Your School • Importance of building relationships • Hands-on approach effective in building trust • Home visits, direct contact with families • Reach out to parents • Schools can be intimidating for parents • Schools should take the first step in communication • Welcome parent ideas • Acknowledge parents’ unique knowledge about their child • View as whole-school approach, not just an add-on

17. Parent Views • Make sure parents are welcome in educational realm, not just in school building • Classroom observation • True participation in learning • Many parents want to do more than help at fundraisers • Provide guidance for helping struggling readers • Be a model for parents • Show parents techniques to use at home • Invite parents to be engaged in content

18. Video Mira’s Family, San Jose, CA Foundation for reading success begins early • Everyday opportunities to learn concepts of print: • Grocery Stores • Shopping Lists • Letter magnets at home • Daily reading time • Child learns how books are used, how reading works • Message to child: Reading is a pleasure!

19. Ideas for Parents of Struggling Readers • Look to schools first • Talk with classroom teachers • Become informed on the reading process • Understand your role • Three aspects: coach, monitor, and advocate • Set TV limits at home • Provide good books • Follow child’s interests • Encourage reading throughout adolescence

20. Understanding the Parent Perspective • Parents need encouragement to become partners • Trained teachers and collaborative school community can help bring parents in • Parents feel up against a system • May not understand it; feel that it doesn’t always work in their child’s best interest • Need to learn the system and understand how to make it work for their child • Engage parents in a dialogue • Provide models for the home/school relationship • Parents can serve as models for other parents

21. Tips for Parents • Know about your child, how things are going at school • Ask for specific information • Reading level, progress, screening information • Explanation of data • Ways you can help • Available services

22. Role of Parent in Early Intervention • Contact the teacher right away to discuss problems • Notice signs of struggles at home • Child avoids reading aloud • Child struggles to recognize common words • Provide a reading environment at home • Be a coach as the child learns how to read • Model at school Often, parents of struggling readers had problems in school themselves • Should be encouraged to take an active, positive role

23. Bringing Parents In • Give parents power • Involve them as a positive change agent • Organizations for parents • Parent Teacher Association • Institute for Responsive Education • Parents for Public Schools • Southwest Educational Development Laboratory • Parent liaison • Contact point between families and school • Set up workshops, create opportunities for parent involvement • Can be less intimidating for other parents

24. Getting Information to Parents • Pass along information to parents from national organizations • Tools, tips, resources • Find small instructional activities that kids can practice at home • Speeds progress in school • Offers parents area of engagement that is purposeful and that matters • Share with parents: • Child’s current reading level • Child’s expected reading level • Materials that parent can use at home to reinforce class work

25. Video Neile’s Family, Raleigh, NC • Phonemic Awareness • Knowledge that words are made of individual sounds • Parent involvement • Word games • Rhyming games • Reading with children

26. Helping Struggling Readers • Research is providing more information on how to help kids • Communicate research-based methods to teachers through professional development • Shift from seeing parent involvement as an add-on to a whole-school improvement strategy • Make parents aware of their important role in literacy development

27. Involving Experienced Teachers Overcoming Resistance to Change • Provide professional development • Give everyone in the school responsibility to communicate with parents • Teachers, aides, counselors, administrators, nurses • Administrator should set expectation, model strategies • Ease tension, anxiety about parent relationships • Provide information on how to conduct conferences Teachers want a positive relationship with parents!

28. Talking to Teachers Tips for Parents • Use data to discuss academic progress • Keeps focus on child improvement • Reduces sense of personal attack, blame • Use partnership language to build trust • Express willingness to help • Ask for strategies to use at home

29. Helping a Struggling Reader without a formal reading program • Advocate for use of a formal reading program • Programs are research-based • Help teachers address all areas of reading development • Advocate for early literacy screening Meanwhile… • Coach child at home, but advocate for change • Parents should supplement, but not replace, school curriculum • Become involved in the parent council at school • Organize with other parents to address concerns

30. Benefits of Student-Led Conferences • Portfolio works are selected by the student • Student reflects and communicates ideas • Parents and teachers join in discussion with student • Leads to self- advocacy later in life for the child • Articulation of goals • Understanding of progress

31. Involving Busy Parents • Information does not have to stay at school • Hold events at community locations: grocery store, nail shop • Go where the parents are! • Make it easy for parents to attend events • Provide transportation, food • Encourage parents to make school a priority

32. Difficulty Communicating with a Teacher • Remain professional • Your child is watching the interaction and could suffer if it is conducted poorly • Contact a school guidance counselor to mediate • Improve relationship with the teacher • Do not give up or go over the teacher’s head • If necessary, involve principal

33. Working with Non-Reading/Non-English Speaking Parents • Have child read to parents for practice • Involve extended family • Grandparents, siblings • Use whatever reading material is in the home • Comic books, cookbooks • Provide audio-taped stories for child • Tell stories to children • You do not have to be a reader to encourage literacy • Encourage school to provide GED/ESL classes for parents

34. Balancing Structured Curriculum and Parent Concerns • Be creative • Find ways to integrate literature across content areas • Encourage reading at home • Use the school library for independent reading books • Encourage parents to take their children to public libraries for reading at home

35. Working with Demanding Parents • Channel parent energy • Use parents as a resource for the school • Ask parents questions, make them partners • Simply asking a parent questions about their child can make them feel useful and involved • Involve parents in a positive role in the school • Encourage them to serve on the parent council Turn demanding parents into advocates for the school!

36. Final Thoughts • Parents are powerful • Village concept – engage community and families • Parent and schools working together can lighten the burden and benefit students • Parents can demonstrate the value of literacy without being a reading teacher themselves • Parents: Advocate for early literacy screening to avoid reading problems later!

37. Thanks for watching! For more information, visit www.ReadingRockets.org!