Contributed commentary by Melissa Smith, an APSU doctoral candidate:

We all know that feeling; that sensation of excitement and maybe a little bit of panic as we try to get our kids ready for school. As summer closes its doors, we find ourselves scrambling from store to store, joining hordes of other parents, who, like us, are trying to find the best deals on school supplies, and clothing. For most of us, this is a symbolic act, our way of contributing to our kids’ success. Because, ultimately, what we want for them is to do well in school. So we prepare them, by providing for them to the best of our ability and then, by hoping that their teachers will do the rest. But what if there were other ways to guarantee their success?

A considerable amount of research has shown that parents who are involved in their children’s education drastically increase their academic success. But what does parent involvement even mean? Does it require you to sign up for every school function or attend every PTA meeting? Do you need to email your child’s teacher weekly? The good news is that you do not.

A recent meta-study that utilized 75 studies on parental involvement and student achievement found that certain parental behaviors translate into higher student achievement and overall academic success. For instance, parents who reinforce academic expectations in a positive manner, who teach their children to value learning, and who create favorable learning conditions at home position their children to achieve academic success.

So what are some things that you can do to help your child be successful this academic school year?

  1. Make it a point to ask your child about their school day every day; for instance, you can ask them to identify one interesting thing they learned in school that day.
  2. Create a home environment where literacy is important. For instance, encourage your child to borrow books from the school library and spend time reading with them.
  3. Look through your child’s work and make connections to real-life contexts. Have open discussions about their schoolwork.
  4. Play games that encourage math skills, like Monopoly, or Uno.
  5. Play word games like Scrabble or make up spelling games.
  6. Help your child with homework and model patience and critical thinking skills. This will help your child learn both focus and problem-solving skills.
  7. Reach out to your child’s teacher. They want to help your child and know that the best way to do this is with your support. Besides, recent federal laws have mandated that schools find strategic ways to get parents involved in their child’s education.
  8. Provide plenty of praise when working with your children. Creating a positive learning environment at home will motivate your child to perform their best at school and creates the foundation for their academic success.

Melissa Smith