3 Proven Ways To Gain Parental Involvement

Experts agree that parent involvement in education is one of the biggest predictors of student success. So where can educators begin? The ClassTag team has put together a list of 3 proven ways to gain parental involvement for your classroom. Keep an eye out for handy resources and videos throughout!

1. Communicate often about the need and importance of parental involvement

• Schedule visitor & volunteer days for your classroom and make sure parents, siblings, and relatives have an opportunity to sign up whether it be via a hand-written note or online./
• Empower the parents by making certain they know the school rules, classroom rules, and procedures.
• The more they know, the more comfortable they’ll feel volunteering.

 2. Be clear about what is needed and create structure that supports those needs

• For example, a pre-school teacher would make a schedule for each parent/family member to bring in a snack.
• By setting expectations, the classroom will work together to make sure the children have the best learning experience possible.

3. Showcase what is happening within your classroom

• Parents love seeing their children in action and learning – make sure their children’s’ hard work is visible to them! #YourClassTweets.
• Use social media or technology to provide additional opportunities for family participation i.e. Pinterest and Instagram could be a window into all the fun learning activities going on inside your classroom.
• Get creative with FaceTime and Skype by live-streaming presentations for families to watch or let the families get involved by having relatives read stories to the class from afar.

All these little things make parents really feel a part of your classroom community.

Teachers can encourage parents to become involved in meaningful ways. The support of family members has a strong correlation to a student’s success in learning and to the classroom community regardless of the age of the students. We hope these 3 proven ways of gaining parental involvement strengthens your classroom and your school community.

If your method wasn’t on the list, what way do you use to gain parental involvement? We’d love to listen and learn more!