When Families Stay Involved in Education, Student Success Rises

Education doesn't just happen in the classroom; the home is the first and most important learning environment.

According to Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, "Thirty years of research shows that when family and community members are directly involved in education, children achieve better grades and higher test scores, have much higher reading comprehension, graduate at higher rates, are more likely to enroll in higher education, and are better behaved."

"Family involvement is especially important in middle level schools," reports Sue Swaim, Executive Director, National Middle School Association. "It's at this time when young adolescents are establishing habits that will follow them through their lives. Family support and a degree of structure in the home will provide a foundation for success for middle school students."

Swaim recommends five actions that families can take to support students:

1. Establish a daily family routine. This includes providing time, space and materials needed for studying. Young adolescents should be assigned regular household tasks to help develop responsibility. Good health habits are also an important part of the home with the proper balance of rest and sleep, good nutrition, and a good breakfast before going to school. Hungry students aren't strong learners in the classroom.

2. Model the value of learning and hard work. Reading at home and engaging in other learning activities demonstrate to students that parents see education as an important part of everyone's life. Some families designate a specific time when everyone reads. Parents can also encourage open discussions with young adolescents on issues of the day or decisions regarding their lives. When parents encourage frank discussions, they demonstrate that they respect their youngster's opinions.

3. Monitor out-of-school activities. It's important for adolescents to have rules, but those rules should be discussed with the child so that he or she understands why they are in place. Parents should also guide the use of leisure time so that it is constructive. This includes time with friends, after school activities and television or relaxation time. There's room for all these items, but they should be balanced. It's also important for parents to reward success and apply sanctions in a consistent manner so that young adolescents will understand that hard work is appreciated and there are limits to what they may do.

4. Encourage your child's overall development and progress in school. When parents express an interest in their child's school work, it shows that parents value what students are achieving in their education. But this means more than simply asking "What did you do in school today?" Encourage your child to explain projects and other work. Attend appropriate school events, and stay in touch with your child's teachers.

5. Encourage reading, writing and discussing among all family members. Education should not be seen as an activity in which only the child is involved. Parents can relate everyday experiences to what is happening in the classroom. Families should discuss current events, evaluate television programming they watch together, and plan local family trips together that have educational value. Writing together, whether it's something as simple as grocery lists or more formal such as letters or diaries, demonstrates the value of writing.

"At this age, young adolescents frequently try to push away from their parents, but there is no substitute for family involvement in education," said Swaim. "The time parents spend with their children today will increase their success in school and life."