According to a study published in the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, “frequent teacher-family communication immediately increased student engagement as measured by homework completion rates, on-task behavior, and class participation.” Furthermore, it is observed that engaged parents report better attitudes about their child’s education, and in turn, their children experience better academic, behavioral, and social outcomes.
The involvement that parents/guardians show in students’ learning and the encouragement they provide for learning at home is proportional to the engagement students show in their studies. Furthermore, strong partnerships between families and schools is an effective strategy to identify learning and opportunity gaps and remedy them.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) emphasized that “the more parents and teachers share relevant information with each other about a student, the better equipped both will be to help that student achieve academically.”
Some of the best ways to keep parents engaged in student learning are:
- Schedule regular parent-teacher meetings [at least ones a month]
- Have telephonic conversations about issues regarding the students with the parents so that they are remedied then and there.
- Even if you do not agree with the parents and want to report a student's behavior, start the conversation by encouraging and appreciating information and showing empathy to the parents. Remember empathy is the key to dialogue.
- Assign students homework that involves parent involvement. This will help parents be a more active part of student learning.
- Maintain a student portfolio so that parents know that their child is cared for and his/her hard work is valued.
