How can parents take active participation in a student's academics?

“No school can work well for children if parents and teachers do not act in partnership on behalf of the children’s best interests.” Dorothy H Cohen.

A healthy parent-teacher coordination impacts the development of children in a positive way. Parental involvement in school has long been heralded as important and has a positive effect on a student’s academic and socio-emotional development. When parents implement early reading with their wards it prepares them for the formal literacy foundations. Parents' involvement at home with reading activities has a positive influence in oral expressive skills, reading achievement and language comprehension.

Every parent is a teacher too. They are the role models and are live examples to their children. Children imitate what and whom they see in their daily lives and therefore it is rightfully said that children are the mirrors of their parents. Parents spend far more time with their wards than the teachers do. A positive environment at home helps the students stay focused whilst completing their home assignments. Parents who have a constructive attitude towards their child's education, school and teachers are able to positively influence their child's academic performance.

Parents can take an active part in their wards academics by imparting values, discipline, respect, interpersonal skills and building a helpful, understanding environment. The best international schools believe that these attributes are very important for the holistic development of the student along with academics. Discipline is one of the foundations of success. Discipline strategies are learnt at home and reinforced in school. In my opinion discipline and interpersonal skills play an important role in the student’s lives. Learning interpersonal skills from the parents leads to the student to demonstrating leadership qualities in school and achieving holistic development.

Holistic development is achievable and begins at home. Imbibing these skills helps a student enhance their understanding. Guiding the children to manage their curriculum and research work helps them in engaging in discussions about academic topics.

Personal positive school experiences provide an excellent foundation for their wards to follow. Work completion of research assignments would require both focused concentration and timely submission. The parent’s own expertise in a field may help the student enhance his/her knowledge and the student may try and apply the same in their academics.

“The home is the first and most effective place to learn the lessons of life: truth, honour, virtue, self-control, the value of education, honest work, and the purpose and privilege of life. Nothing can take the place of home in rearing and teaching children, and no other success can compensate for failure in the home.”

-David O. McKay

As teachers our aim is to make the child understand and comprehend concepts without enforcing them to memorize the same. Instead we believe in developing their creative and imaginative skills so that they can be enthusiastic learners. Academic curriculum is taught in class but the revision and reinforcement of concepts done at home will ensure a smooth transition and better understanding of the concept.

Now that schools have opened primary teachers have faced the challenge of the children being too dependent on their parents. Inculcating independence at home would have helped the students take responsibility of work completion and timely submissions. Children are unable to follow multiple instructions and execute the given tasks independently.

Being a teacher as well as a mother of two children, I have personally realised the importance of teaching children to respect their teachers. Trust and respect imbibes positivity towards each other and an understanding even if there is a difference of opinion.

At Aditya Birla World Academy which is one of best international school in Mumbai, we value the parent body’s suggestions in creating a learning environment that is impacted by both – the teacher and parent body in a positive manner.

In conclusion in the words of the American lawyer and politician Ernest Istook - “Education begins at home and I applaud the parents who recognize that they – not someone else must take responsibility to assure that their children are well educated.”

How can parents take active participation in a student's academics going to international schools in Mumbai?

Author

Simrat Arora
Teacher CP

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