Parents must help the teachers teach

There’s a magic about the beginning of a new school year. True, it means the end of lazy summer days, the return to a school routine that starts and closes each day with a bell. It means meeting new friends and missing some that have moved away. It is truly a time of mixed emotions.

I was fortunate to have two parent educators. Besides being mom and dad, they were my first teachers. They were aware of what was being taught at my school. Discussions at the dinner table and about everyday chores and duties were stimulating. They questioned the whys, whats, and whos. They were there to send me off in the morning before the tardy bell rang, and there in the afternoon, to ask me about homework, what I had learned that day. My earliest recollections are of having my parents read to me and of hunting for books in libraries and bookstores in nearly every city we visited.

This all came to mind as I read an article in the Wall Street Journal citing the need for parent involvement in education. Despite increased spending on education, stiffer requirements, and better teachers, the conclusion was you can’t have better schools and better results without parents being partners in education.

All too frequently our society expects educators to assume the complete responsibility for a child’s education. This may include not only the academic subjects – such as reading, writing, and arithmetic – but also social skills, moral values, and even such things as responsibility and development of self-discipline.

Many researchers in education believe that approximately 50 percent of a child’s mental ability is developed by age 5. Parents can be of tremendous help to teachers before the child ever goes to school by providing enriching experiences at home and by teaching proper manners and social skills to the child.

Societal changes such as increased numbers of working mothers, increased numbers of single parents, and economic stresses have resulted in parents having less time to spend with their children. These parents expect schools to close the gap.

Parents can and should be willing to be a major part of the process of educating their child. Those who have children starting back to school, or starting school for the first time, may be looking for ways to increase the likelihood that these children will look on their experience with happiness, fulfillment, and success.

As in many human endeavors, getting off to the right foot is always important. Proper preparation and mind set can help the family lay the proper groundwork for a satisfying experience during the school year.

Next week, I will continue my discussion of starting back to school and discuss ways that parents can help their child make the school year successful.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1999