It is important to realize that learning does not end at school and that knowledge imparted at home is the foundation of a child’s learning environment. Exploring how parents can contribute to a child’s learning process and understanding the importance of involving parents in the child’s school is important for a child’s development.

Research has shown that students benefit from parental participation in many ways such as better behavior and concentration during the early years, possibly leading to higher grades, better attendance and continuation of education at the advanced level. Looking closely at the research, there are strong indications that the most effective forms of parental involvement are those which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home. Furthermore, parents can support their young children by having a regular daily routine thereby providing them discipline, which would ideally include involving the children in household chores and responsibilities, getting into bed on time and helping the children get ready in the morning. Showing children that a parent values learning, self-discipline and hard work is important. Guiding television viewing, reading aloud, taking trips together, having books around the house and doing creative activities will stimulate the child’s mind.

Parents must realize that school is not a ready-made package in their children’s lives and that value-centered learning is an important ingredient provided at home. Similarly schools should value the importance of parental involvement and devise strategies to make the learning environment more wholesome. Furthermore, parents should show curiosity in what the child does at school. Parent’s enthusiasm and interest in meeting with the child’s teacher makes the child realize, the value or importance of school.

Nurturing the Child’s Learning Needs
The curiosity of a child is central to the learning process and it needs to be nurtured. The role of parents is very important in this regard and parents should try to enhance their children’s curiosity. For example when animals are discussed in the school, parents can take their children to the zoo to actually connect real life experiences with what the children have learned at school. Even pointing out animals seen everyday such as stray cats and dogs connects knowledge with reality. Alternatively field trips can be organized by the school and parents can be asked to accompany the students and staff as facilitators. Moreover, when talking about fruit, children can be taken to a fruit shop by the parent, and when fruits such as oranges are being eaten, the parent can practically demonstrate how to peel the fruit, showing the children the seeds and unique texture. Parents can also be called in to school and asked to take part in making fruit salads, cutting vegetables and preparing sandwiches. The fascination of a child needs to be incorporated into learning and translating education into knowledge, hence integrating learning and tangible experiences.

Reviewing the Child’s Performance at School
Parents can be made aware of the child’s work on a regular basis and this can be ensured by adopting various practices at the school. Sending work home with the child on a weekly basis is effective as it keeps the parents informed about the work being done in school, along with the child’s progress. Furthermore, a cordial environment should be created at school, whereby parents feel comfortable with the teacher and are at ease when enquiring about their child’s progress. The process works both ways and the school and parents need to give time and importance to the child’s learning.

Developing the Child’s Language Skills
In terms of language articulation and development, parents should make it a point to regularly read to their children. If parents are unable to engage their children with story telling then they can be invited to be a part of story time at the school to learn how to keep the child interested and involved in the story. Parents should also be encouraged to talk to their children, hence developing their confidence in using language and helping them to express themselves, while also building rapport and social skills. Singing different poems and local songs with your child is fun and very interactive as well.

Introducing Learning at Home
Parent assistance with homework should also be considered, an important mode of engagement. It is important for parents to guide their children, while also motivating them to study. Planning the day together and working out a schedule are ways to discipline your child, and whilst engaging the child willingly rather than creating a climate of oppression or coercion. The school can develop parent involvement programs that include conducting learning activities with children at home. Project based learning is an interactive and fun approach to learning especially when the child and parents are working together. Assignments which require students to incorporate and represent knowledge imparted from their parents are also good ways of engagement.

Creating Strong Linkages with Communities
Schools that succeed in engaging families should further focus on building collaborative relationships between teachers, families and other community members. Some successful examples are visible in the schools of the Releasing Confidence and Creativity (RCC) programme where efforts have been made to engage families in student learning. Community members were actively involved in a theatre training event organized. The message sent across by the theatre performance was well received in many cases and helped to facilitate change, especially with regards to female literacy. This helps in embracing a philosophy of a learning partnership making sure that the parents, school staff and community members understand that the responsibility for children’s education is a collaborative and cooperative process.

Participation in School Events
Attendance at school functions and events is also one of the ways of ensuring parental participation. However, parents can also be involved at the classroom level by sharing their skills and knowledge with the children. In Releasing Confidence and Creativity (RCC) programme parents are invited into the schools where handicrafts such as making clay toys and stitching ralli (Ralli is a traditional cloth made by patchwork) have been taught to the students, thereby utilizing the role of parents as a valuable resource, and connecting the school with the natural environment of the child by valuing local culture, traditions and knowledge. Parents have also been involved in story telling, especially folk stories, once again indicating respect and value for the knowledge of a parent and the larger community. The sharing of stories when successfully applied influences the development of moral and ethical values thereby building character in a child. Hence mothers are called in to conduct and facilitate fun filled activities. Alternatively parents can take on the role of facilitators and observers, giving valuable feedback to teachers and helping students with classroom activities.

In many cases for effective implementation of any initiative parents would need to be involved in training. However, this should be carried out while keeping in mind feasibility and necessity. In the RCC programme an Adult Literacy Program has been initiated which involves teaching mothers basic numeric and literacy skills. The program has been successful in motivating the parents to educate their children and enabling mothers to assist children in their work. It is anticipated that fathers will also be involved in the program at the next stage. Parents have also been called in as substitute teachers when required, thus connecting them further as learning partners.

The lack of planning and mutual understanding between teachers and parents is a possible barrier to effective parental involvement. As part of the planning process, teachers and school administrators need to assess their own readiness for involving parents and determining how they wish to engage them. When involving parents as learning partners, schools need to have adequate information about the skills and specialization of specific parents, in order to identify probable learning partners. However, parents should be able to choose and be comfortable with the activities, and the school should accommodate different schedules, preferences and capabilities. School staff should communicate to parents that their involvement and support makes a great deal of difference in their children’s school performance, and that they need not be highly educated or have lots of free time for their involvement to be beneficial. However, it should be taken into consideration that parental participation should not impede the general functioning of the school, such as administrative, practical and academic aspects of school life. The school will also at times need to fulfill the role of a mediator in negotiating and reaching a consensus between the goals of the school and parents. There may be various difficulties in engaging parents. School staff wishing to carry out effective activities that involve parents will need to be flexible, friendly and well-organized in their approach in engaging parent participation.