Sponsored: This month, we focus on ways that parental involvement in a child’s school journey maximises their education success. We also look at a new Dubai school with this research-backed approach to enabling parents to help their kids achieve their full potential.
Research from all over the world consistently shows that there are clear differences in children’s academic and personal success, depending on the way parents are involved. Put simply, the research says that when parents have a low involvement in their child’s education, their children will generally attain lower academic achievement; and when parents are more actively involved, their child achieves more success at school and beyond.
The research into parental involvement at school
According to research from the US-based research organisation, National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, “children of involved parents are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behaviour and adapt well to school.”
The organisation reports that the most accurate predictors of student achievement in school are not family income or social status, but the extent to which the family becomes involved in the child’s education at school. The solid conclusion is that parents who are actively involved in their children’s learning are giving their kids the best opportunity for educational success.
Expanding on this, it also means that parents who are hands-on involved at the school level are more likely to be raising more confident achieving children who are better able to create a brighter future for themselves as they grow into adulthood.
What does ‘parental involvement’ in your child’s education look like?
Every parent wants maximum school success for their child, but when you’re juggling a full-time job, how is it possible to take a more active role in your child’s education, in practical terms?
In harmony with the research, internationally respected leader in education and Principal of Dubai’s new Bloom World Academy, John Bell, confirms that the following ways will expand a parent’s role in their child’s education:
- Be present at school when possible (this gets you more familiar with your child’s world, rather than being distant from it, and therefore with them all the way if any challenges or problems arise)
- Show an active interest in your child’s schoolwork (this builds a connection with children as you share excitement over their successes and help them work through disappointments. Showing that you care about what they’re learning helps reinforce the importance of it!)
- Keep a positive attitude towards education. Some parents might believe that using discipline is the right way to handle children who say they dislike school or don’t want to do their homework. However, parents who keep a positive attitude about education are more likely to pass that positive outlook onto their kids.
- Make any school involvement positive. (This also means keeping in closer contact with your child’s teachers and working together productively to support your child.)
Young children, in particular, are still forming their thoughts and feelings toward school, so being involved as a parent reinforces the positive aspects of school and builds children up as they work through any struggles.
Parental support and involvement can also benefit kids of all ages at a developmental level that extends beyond academics. When a child can see that their parents are supporting them, they are more likely to take risks and learn something new instead of staying inside the box, says the research.
For more information, to book a tour, or to talk with the admissions team, you can call directly on: (+971) 4 371 4774 or check the website for more information.