CHFD307 AMU Week 5 Children and Adolescent Development Discussion Research supports the concept that children with involved parents are more successful in

CHFD307 AMU Week 5 Children and Adolescent Development Discussion Research supports the concept that children with involved parents are more successful in school. What do the readings say about this? How should parents be involved? What can schools do to increase parental involvement? How will this benefit not only students, but teachers and the school community? Share if you have a favorite parent involvement activity.

Classmate #1:

Hi class,

Personal experience and research supports the concept that children with involved parents are more successful in school. I can recall in middle school I disliked history and wouldn’t want to do my homework. During parent teacher conference, my teacher informed my mom of my missing assignments. Together, the three of us came up with the plan to have my teacher sign my homework daily with the assignment, even for “no homework.” If I failed to get a signature I wouldn’t be allowed to watch my tv show that night. The invention worked and I was able to end the year well. Jaime Klien speaks on the importance of parent involvement. Trust is the foundation in building a relationship with parents. Parents trust the schools to continue their child‘s development. Trust also allows for communication to be established between the student’s home life and school life. Some parents need coaching on how to ask their children questions about their day (EarlyChildhoodVideos, 2013). Parents can learn to ask specific questions when they are familiar with the classroom routine and what the children are learning. This idea can be started with monthly parent newsletters or highlights from the day (EarlyChildhoodVideos, 2013). What could follow is cohesion with what the children are learning in school which can extend to home. If the children are learning about planting the parent can set up a trip to the community garden or parents can be given check out their children favorite books. The community can offer programming for extended history and art learning at museums.

There is a relation between parents who are educated and placing importance on the children remaining in school (Mishra & Azeez, 2014). Schools can offer education programs for parents who are uneducated. Programs can help promote parent-child relationships too with tools to engage children that are struggling academically. Resources for intervention programs, such as tutoring and therapies would benefit the children. Communities can rally together to support one another to encourage schooling through mentorship programs, after-school activities and food drives for low income families. Smit et al. researchers establish that collaboration between schools and parents improves the development of disadvantaged groups (2002). Such groups are ethnic minorities and low SES. It would be beneficial for schools to establish expectants of school-parent relationships and discuss ownership of responsibilities. Driessen et al. research supports that many of the minority’s parents place responsibility on the with schools more or less exclusively with regard to education and development.

Epstein has created a Framework of Six Types if Involvement for Comprehensive Partnership for shared responsibility for children between the family, schools, and community.

type 1 parenting – help all families set up home environments to support children as students

type 2 communicating – children’s progress both as home and at school

type 3 volunteering – parent help

type 4 learning at home – provided with ways to help students continue learning at home

type 5 decision making – parents are included in school decisions

type 6 collaborating with the community – strengthen school and family practices

(Epstein, n.d.)

Lastly, although parent’s involvement as children get older beings to taper off, studies using longitudinal data reveal that parent involvement in high school positively benefits student’s attitudes, behaviors, and grades (Driessen et al., 2005). High school students are not adults. There prefrontal cortex is still undergoing development meaning their decision making skills are not complete. Guidance of parents and support of schools will help adolescents development to become functioning contributing adults in society.

References

Driessen, G., Smit, F., & Sleegers, P. (2005). Parental Involvement and Educational Achievement. British Educational Research Journal, 31(4), 509–532. https://doi-org.ezproxy2.apus.edu/10.1080/01411920500148713

EarlyChildhoodVideos. (2013, January 30). Involving Families. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTVLtIn29I0.

Epstein, J. L. (n.d.). School/Family/Community Partnerships: Caring for the Children We Share. A Comprehensive Framework . Retrieved from https://www.corwin.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/6799_epstein_ch_1.pdf

Mishra, P. J., & Azeez, A. (2014). Family Etiology of School Dropouts: A Psychosocial Study. International Journal of Language & Linguistics, 1(1), 45–50. Retrieved from http://ijllnet.com/journals/Vol_1_No_1_June_2014/6.pdf

Classmate# 2:

I believe that parents should be expected to participate in their child’s education. This is true for many reasons. Parental involvement in education can improve the child’s interest in their own education because they will be rewarded for good grades and behavior, and punished otherwise. I believe that parents should check their children’s homework, even if they do not know all of the answers. This shows the child the parent feels his/her education is important. I do not have children of my own, but I actively participate in my nephews and nieces education. My entire family support school functions on a regular basis. I think this gives the child an opportunity to be proud of the work they accomplish, especially younger children. According to Parke & Gauvain (2009) a parent is the child’s most important teacher (Parke & Gauvain, 2009).

According to a study by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2002), when a child’s learning is supported by family and community support children stay in school longer, and likes school more. This study also indicates that children do better in school with the proper support of the family (National Education Association, 2015).

I believe children should spend more time at home doing homework, and other activities such as reading, if it is possible. A child’s education should not end at the end of the school day. Some homes may not be quiet as others, especially homes with younger siblings. This may make it difficult to concentrate on homework.

The homework debate is an old one. There are many advantages and disadvantages to homework. The advantages of homework, it can bring the parent and student closer together, and a great way to develop responsibility. The disadvantages of homework is the child has little or no time to relax and spend family time. Too much homework can encourage cheating due to time restrictions (Teachnology, 2015).

I do not believe the length of the school day should be increased. My nephew has an after school program that lasts until 6 p.m. and the buses bring the children home. This time is used for play, not education at the school, supervised by the teachers. I think too much time around peers at an impressionable age can be negative, if the children are not properly trained at home. Children at school are more likely to misbehave than when around a parent.

I believe that teachers should spend more time teaching children life skills. Skills such as job interview tips for high school students. I remember in school learning a lot of things that I have never used in my adult life, and wishing I had learned things such as interview skills, how to manage money, and other essential skills needed to be an adult.

National Education Association. (2015). Research Spotlight on Parental Invovlement in Education. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/17360.htm

Parke, R. D. & Gauvain, M. (2009). Child psychology: A contemporary viewpoint (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0-07-338268-5.

Teachnology. (2015). 5 Reasons Kids Need Homework and 5 Reasons They Don’t. Retrieved from http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/pro…

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