The Importance Of Parental Involvement In Education

Many parents have multiple children, while working a nine to five job, attending family activities and meetings, and staying on top of bills and home duties. Family life can get hectic and parents may not take the time to realize their importance in their children’s academics. Some parents may be too busy, and others may simply not care, but their involvement in their children’s life is essential. Whether parents or children realize it, involvement of parents in children’s lives positively affects their child’s academic success at all grade levels, including elementary, high school, and even college.

Assistive technology positively affects parenting and family members. They help disabled children feel more acknowledge and free to do things they couldn't do. I love how technology was made to help parents who have special need children. This helps them know that their is help and their will always be a way. Even if the way might be difficult, there is a way. Never give up. There are opportunities in this world. Dreams do come true. Even if its a special or unique way to do something in life, it will happen.

We chose three articles, which dealt with parental involvement at schools since we think that this subject is very relevant to us as teachers. Those articles were organized in a clear way. In addition, the ideas followed each other in a logical order. For example, in the article “Bringing Parents Back In: African American Parental Involvement, Extracurricular Participation, and Educational Policy”, the authors started with their theory and the goal of their study. Afterward, they explained what they did in the study and its results. Then, they analyzed and discussed them. Ultimately, they presented their conclusions from the study.

Parents have special knowledge about their child that school personnel might be unaware of. This aspect of parental involvement is especially important when applying special education services for a child with disabilities (Smith et al., 2005). That being said, parents need to understand that while they know a lot about their child overall, the school knows a lot about their child in an academic setting. It is very important to have open lines of communication and mutual respect for each other; to be able to bring together these different aspects of the child to create a successful intervention allowing complete access to education.

The purpose of this survey study is to investigate parental involvement of students with disabilities. Parents with special needs children deal with many different factors when it comes to parent involvement in a school setting. The Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s (2005) Model of Parent Involvement, as well as, family structure, race/ethnicity, and family socioeconomic status (SES) were used to gather data. Parents felt that they were involved in their child’s

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) talked about the Free Exercise Clause by putting together a three-part explanation to balance out people 's education and religious freedom. “The balancing test marked the move from belief-action doctrine in the nineteenth century.”(Politics, 2014) Through the case its decisions impacted the debate regarding parents control of their children 's education. Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment posed some challenges to court, which was faced with the conflicts between the church and the state. “The clause, which protects the free exercise of religion, fails to define religion, leaves its protective parameters unclear, and invites a wide range of interpretations.” (Industries, 2016) Free Exercise is difficult to understand but it is important in a nation as diverse as the United States. In the United States religious groups look for exemption from state or federal laws based on their own beliefs.

Many studies have indicated that parental involvement is important to the success of various educational and intervention programs (Granger, Rivieres-Pigeeon, Sabourin & Forget, 2012; Hastings & Johnson, 2001; Neymotin, 2013; Solish & Perry, 2008). The National Research Council Report (2001) strongly recommends parental involvement in autism interventions. Additionally, in his 1987 study, Lovaas required that parents apply no less than 10 hours per week of the intensive behavioral intervention (IBI) program with their own children. Parents participating in Lovaas’ IBI program are often encouraged to be full members of the therapy team (Lovaas & Buch, 1997). The increased intervention hours that come from parental involvement are supposed to improve the child’s cognitive, language, social, and adaptive skills (Sallows & Graupner, 2005). In addition, parental involvement can help these skills more successfully generalize from the treatment setting to the natural environment (Lovass, 1987).

Prior to the installment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, (1975) parental involvement in the decision making for students who received special education services was limited and voluntary. Parents play an inactive role in the decision making process, rarely providing insight into the needs of their special needs child and the services that they should receive. Parents of students who received special education services held a more passive role and left input and decision making to educators and school administration (Vaugh, Bos, Harrell & Lasky, 1988). When the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed into effect, parent participation was mandated. Parents were now given the right to be involved in all decisions that affected their child’s placement, IEP development, and evaluations (Education for All Handicapped Children, 1975).

Despite the expectations for fathers increasing, the literature for parenting is still far too focused on mothers, as many people still hold the belief that mothers are more intimately involved in their child’s education than the fathers are (Parke, 2002; Lareau, 2003; Lamb, 2010). (SECTION ABOUT BARRIERS)

Parental involvement has been an issue in the United States since before the turn of the nineteenth century. Perhaps one of the most well-known organizations in support of parental involvement in schools was created in 1897. The National Congress of Mothers set up a statement of purposes that created the basis for their organization. The purposes included: “the education of parents for child development; the coöperation of home and school; the promotion of the kindergarten movement; the securing of legislation for neglected and dependent children; and the education of young people for parenthood,” (Butterworth, 7). The Congress of Mothers evolved in 1908 into the National

As a parent, it is necessary to recognize the importance of the development of behaviors in children and how this can impact a child’s social development. An important aspect of child behavior formation is operant conditioning, an idea popularized by B. F. Skinner. Operant conditioning focuses on the idea that learning certain behaviors involves learning the relationship between one’s own behavior and the reward or punishment that prevails. (Miller, 2011) The perspective on child rearing has changed, but the positive influence parents can have over their child has not. Almost every belief about child rearing has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century. Our whole view of children was shaped into

Parental involvement is the most important part of the equation. Legislation is clear to mandate the involvement of school and home as a partnership that will benefit not only the child, but everyone involved in the household and school. Dettmer, Thurston, Knackendoffel and Dyck (2009) cite the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 as one of the legal pieces that “prescribe several rights for families of children with disabilities.” Many other legal pieces address parental participation in the decision making process and all services provided to children. According to No Child

Parental involvement in education is a vital essential for creating a cooperative environment for the student to thrive and succeed in. When a student knows that he or she is receiving support both inside and outside the school, the chances of that child becoming responsible for and active in their education are more likely. I know that there can be difficulties including parents for many reasons. Such parents may be too busy, uninterested or just feel helpless. However, as an educator, I will still have an obligation to reach out to these parents and assist them.

A child’s success in life is directly linked to how they developed as a child. There are many aspects that go into child development. Experiences, environments, as well as how they reach developmental milestones play a huge role in the overall shaping of the child. If a child is deprived of these important developments, their hope for a normal, rewarding life is very slim. In my experience as a mother I have found that being involved in helping my daughter reach her developmental goals has been very rewarding for the both of us. The importance of a parent’s involvement in reaching these milestones is almost immeasurable. Simple things, such as stacking blocks with your child can have a dramatic effect on their development. Months before I had my daughter I researched all kinds of methods and activities to do with her to encourage her development. There are four major components of child development that are imperative to the child’s future. Physical, emotional, social and cognitive development are four types of development essential to a properly developed child.

Parent Involvement has been an issue in the United States since before the turn of the