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How to Be a Partner In Your Child's Education
by David Drayfirth
http://www.fseducation.com
Every parent wants to be sure that their child receives the
best education that they possibly can provide for him or
her. They go to great lengths to get their offspring into
the "best schools" from preschool on, even moving from one
city to another to ensure access to particular schools.
And yet, they often overlook the single most important thing
that they can do to better the education that their child
receives. The one simple thing that will help your child do
better in school year after year is to become a partner to
his or her teacher.
As a family advocate working in a neighborhood center, I
often heard parents complain that teachers didn't treat
their children fairly, or didn't understand what their child
needed. At the same time, I heard repeatedly from teachers
that parents were non-responsive to invitations to parent
conferences, or didn't even care enough to make sure that
homework was finished.
When that happens, the only loser is the child. The benefits
of involved parents have been reaffirmed by study after
study. Children whose parents are involved enough to know
their children's classmates, who help with homework and ask
important question enjoy school more and learn far more than
their classmates whose parents are not involved.
Invariably, when we brought parents and teachers together in
a non-threatening, neutral atmosphere, the end result was
the formation of a partnership with the goal of giving the
child involved the best possible education for his or her
particular circumstances.
And yet, the benefits to students are clear. Children whose
parents are involved - who help with homework, volunteer in
the classroom, meet and communicate with teachers, and ask
important questions - enjoy school more and learn more than
their peers whose parents are not involved. If your
relationship with your child's teacher has been more
adversarial than cooperative, there are some clear cut step
that you can take to improve that relationship and move
toward being a partner in your child's education.
If you're not sure where to start, the following tips may
help you prepare to become a true partner in getting your
child the best education possible for him or her.
1. Become informed. Know what the school is obliged to offer
your child in the way of accomodations. Understand the
school department policies on curriculum, including what
should be taught at your child's grade level, how much
homework should be assigned, and what kind of special
assistance is offered in your school district.
3. Keep the lines of communication open. You might ask to
arrange a weekly ten minute phone call just to catch up, or
request to be notified whenever your child misses a homework
assignment. In return, you can make a point of informing the
teacher of important or unusual events that might reflect in
classroom behavior.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that your child
splits his day between home and school. It's to his benefit
if all the adults that have charge of him over the course of
a day are on the same page and working together.
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