How To Motivate Parental Involvement in the Classroom

Children whose parents are involved in their classroom are likely to have a positive educational experience. When a parent shows up on field trip day or helps organize the class's Valentine’s Day party, it shows how much they value their child's education. Here are some ways to motivate, plan, and organize parental involvement in the classroom.

Get to Know the Families

It is critical to understand the families’ backgrounds. Simple surveys, newsletters, Back-to-School Night, and quick chats before and after school will provide important opportunities for you to communicate with parents. Single moms, dads with two jobs, or immigrant families will probably be more hesitant to knock on the classroom door, while some stay-at-home-moms might try to take over the classroom. Work as a team with each family to show that everyone is valued and welcome, regardless of economic or marital status. By getting to know each family's schedules and needs, it will be easier to plan for volunteer parental involvement. In addition, family members will be more comfortable spending time in the classroom.

Plan Ahead

Whether your school requires a set number of hours, or you try desperately to recruit help in your classroom, it is important to plan ahead and keep organized. It is a good idea to have some type of sign-in log or binder to keep track of the number of hours and the type of work that families are accomplishing. Many parents will need advance notice of field trips or other school activities in order to help, so plan to create a newsletter featuring upcoming dates and volunteer opportunities. If you often have more volunteers than available spots, you may want to plan how you will choose which parents will participate (i.e. first come first volunteer, randomly selected, those with the fewest hours etc.). Some teachers also post a sign in the window: one side says "Volunteers are needed today, please come in!" and the other side says "We don’t need volunteers today, thank you." It is important to clearly state the rules of volunteering in the classroom. Some schools have policies regarding background checks, insurance requirements, or TB testing for anyone who wishes to work directly with students. Also, consider whether or not it is okay to have siblings into the classroom (maybe siblings are allowed for class parties but not on field trips). It is nice to have a shelf with pre-planned lessons and activities for parents to oversee if they show up unannounced and want to help out. A sticky note with directions and materials already laid out will make for an easy transition and will alleviate any distractions from your planned teaching.

Involve Reluctant Parents

Creating a welcoming environment is the first step in engaging parents in the education of their child. It is critical to start the year on a positive note. Being sensitive to a parent’s educational, cultural, economic, and even language preference, will help to bridge the gap between home and school. Some people want to volunteer more, but are afraid to speak up. Additionally, some may not know that they are welcome to be in the classroom during school hours. Here are some tips and ideas for involving reluctant parents:

• Translate all flyers and newsletters into the primary language of the parents, ensuring that they will be able to read and understand what is happening at school.
• Give ample notice for school events, allowing time for arranging child care for other siblings or taking the time off work.
• Provide work that can be completed at home, such as stapling homework packets or pre-cutting letters for bulletin boards. I don't recommended that any type of grading be sent home.
• Prepare a Wish List with items to donate to the classroom.
• Plan school activities that take place before or after normal business hours such as a coffee with the teacher (at 7:00 am) or a family science night (at 6:00 pm).
• Invite mothers and fathers to share their culture, job, or hobby with the class.
• Offer opportunities to help with other aspects of school such as gardening or re-shelving library books.
• Research your state's laws (such as the California Family-School Partnership Act) that require employers to release family members from work, without penalty, for school-related functions including: parent-teacher conferences, school performances, Open House, and other activities. Educate parents regarding their rights to be a part of their child’s educational experience.
• Schedule time for parent-led centers such as stamping out spelling words or guided reading. (This can be a great way to allow more small group instruction time)
• Have the kids make invitations to special school events. (Tip: If you provide refreshments at these events, you will increase your chances for parent participation even more!)

It is always a good idea to send home a thank you note to those who have donated items or volunteered their time for your classroom. Some teachers and schools even hold a special end-of-the-year celebration for volunteers. By showing appreciation to the families who do support your classroom, hopefully others will soon follow.

Additional Resources:

Value of Parent-Teacher Meetings

An informative article written for USA Today (2003) the author explains why parental involvement at all grade levels is important. There are discussion questions at the end which would be useful for high school learners.

It's in the Genes

Read this article to learn about how to incorporate a lesson on genetics into your curriculum. This would make for a great back-to-school homework activity for upper elementary learners.