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"Parent involvement" is fast becoming a hot topic. Teachingperiodicals, parent magazines, newspapers, and even television talkshows and special broadcasts are emphasizing the impact parents makein educating their children. Topics include hints on effectivecommunication at conference time, tips for establishing study skillsand habits at home, and information on how to use parents effectivelyas volunteers in the classroom (Vukelich, 1984). A potential limitation with the teacher-parents involvementsuggestions described in some articles is that even though they may beworthwhile, they often lack an overall organization that allowsteachers to plan and develop principled programs for parents (Becher,1986; Becher, 1984; Vukelich, 1984). Many well-meaning, dedicatedteachers approach parent involvement as an "afterthought" that maylack purposeful implementation. Parent involvement, in this sense, isnot seen as part of the curriculum. A general format may help toeliminate wasted effort and guide the development of an organizedapproach to parent involvement--a parent involvement program that isintegrated into the language arts curriculum.DIMENSIONS OF INVOLVEMENT Petit (1980) attempts to organize the various dimensions of parentinvolvement. Petit specifies three levels or degrees of increasingparent involvement: (1) monitoring, (2) informing, and (3)participation. At Petit's MONITORING LEVEL, schools make parents aware of the schoolsituation. Potter (1989) suggests that this is done through informalconversations (e.g., open houses, school programs), announcementsregarding the school's activities, and questionnaires. This type ofcontact helps to establish parental feelings of assurance, confidence,and acceptance. Parents feel more comfortable sharing with the teachertheir child's positive, as well as negative, attitudes about schoolthat the child may be experiencing at home. Many schools are effectiveand active at this level of parent involvement with weekly bulletins,annual open houses in the fall, and public invitations to specialschool programs and activities. Petit's second level is described as INFORMING. This means keepingparents informed about the policies, procedures, aims, andexpectations that exist in the school, but particularly in theclassroom. The contact is more formal and direct. Communication atthis level is more specifically between the classroom teacher and theparent rather than between the school and the parents. This is donethrough (1) parent-teacher conferences, (2) home visits, (3) classnewsletters, (4) bulletin boards, (5) reporting, (6) phone calls, and(7) take-home packets. In addition to teachers informing parents, parents need to inform theteacher about anything going on at home that may help the teacher tounderstand the child's behavior and performance at school. Parentsshould communicate with the teacher on how the child's reading andlanguage activities are progressing at home and give feedbackregarding the supportive activities done at home. PARTICIPATION is Petit's final level. At this level parents becomeactively involved in the classroom with teachers. Teachers solicit theassistance of parents in helping the school and/or classroom withinstructional support. Parents might act as aides or volunteers inclassrooms, helping with bulletin boards, checking assignments, ormaking games and activities. Parents might volunteer to work in thelibrary, do typing, or work with school equipment such as laminatingand duplicating. Parents who have had experiences that match a specialtheme or topic being explored by the class could be asked to makespecial presentations. They may be asked to participate in classroominstruction or act as classroom reading tutors or writing editors whowork with one or two children who are experiencing difficulty. Parentswho cannot actively participate in the classroom are encouraged toprovide supportive instruction at home using reading and writingstrategies and methods similar to those being used in the classroom. It is necessary that parents be aware of effective instructionaltechniques when working with children in the classroom and at home.Parent knowledge and skills can be extended through parent observationand/or instruction. It is at this participation level that parentsbecome involved in workshops or reading courses. Teachers,specialists, or other professionals explain to parents about theschool's language arts program. Parents are then given instruction onhow to help students in the classroom and at home. A PROGRAM MODEL One such program encourages parent participation in the classroom forthose parents who are able to volunteer their time, but alsoemphasizes participation at home. In this program, an elementaryschool teacher was implementing a literature-based program in thelanguage arts curriculum. The teacher informed the parents throughletters that the students would be integrating reading and writing inthe language arts block and that they would be involved in a varietyof literature experiences. Parents were given detailed explanations ofvarious strategies in the letters. The teacher asked for their supportand involvement at home in helping their child accomplish assignmentsthrough these new experiences. Parents and students were encouraged toshare reading at home, as well as to share ideas and thoughts aboutthe books. Suggestions or strategies for sharing books were explainedand sent home for parent reference. As the students became acquainted with this literature-based program,enthusiasm for reading was apparent in many of the students. A letterwas sent home recounting some of the students' positive experiencesand asking for parent volunteers--those who felt comfortable with thediscussions and strategies for sharing reading. Some parents came intothe classroom to help with small group discussions, book projects,etc. Later on, the writing process was briefly explained in a parentletter, and activities the students were engaged in and editing marksand skills were defined, so that parents could assist their child athome. In this same letter, parents were asked to come into theclassroom to help small groups of students with the authoring cycle,edit final drafts, type student stories, and assist with bookmaking.When parents did volunteer, it was very common to see the studentsexplaining and informing the parents what it was they were doing inliterature circles. It was not uncommon to see parents in authoringcircles listening to student stories, offering suggestions, andhelping students with first drafts. Parents were given opportunities to help in book selection for newliterature groups. The teacher sent home book club orders andsuggestions and recommendations for book selection. The letterencouraged parents and children to discuss the recommended books onthe list and then make their selection together. Literature groupswere then determined from the book selections made by parents andchildren. The teacher provided additional opportunities for parent input througha variety of correspondence. Periodically, parent letters were senthome telling of the progress students were making with literature andauthor circles. An invitation to observe these activities in theclassroom was extended. Contracts were sent home to be signed byparents, students, and teachers regarding classroom rules, homeworkpolicies, responsibility for using classroom literature sets, andsupport for achieving success in this program. A list of necessaryreading and writing supplies was sent home, and parents were asked todonate some of the items, such as white-out ink, contact paper,markers, old greeting cards, index cards, wallpaper books, cerealboxes, cushions, bean bag chairs, and so forth. CAREFUL PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL Initiating an effective and well organized plan for parent involvementtakes plenty of work--work to achieve it, work and commitment tomaintain it. It is realistic to think that as one moves through thelevels of involvement that Petit describes, the audience of parentsnarrows. It is easy to have all parents and all teachers included atthe beginning levels. However, as movement makes its way up thelevels, the focus narrows. Fewer parents and teachers are able andwilling to enter into the "participation" level of involvement withclassrooms and homes. Teachers cannot let this be discouraging.Instead, they must continually remind themselves that the obligationto reach a wider audience of parents still remains. When parent involvement reaches the level in which parents areactually involved at school and/or at home, teachers must recognizethat it was attained through effective communication in the beginningor at previous levels. This effective communication involves positiveactions by teachers, parents, and administrators who are willing tocooperate and act in concert with one another. The Office ofEducational Research and Improvement (1986) argues that teachers whosucceed in involving parents in their children's schoolwork aresuccessful because they (teachers) work at it. "Working at it" callsfor a commitment from principals, teachers, and parents whichultimately benefits the child. REFERENCES Becher, Rhoda. "Parent Involvement: A Review of Research andPrinciples of Successful Practice." In L. Katz, Ed. Current Topics inEarly Childhood Education, 6. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1984. ED 014 563 Becher, Rhoda. Parents and Schools. ERIC Digest. 1986. ED 015 756 Petit, D. Opening Up Schools. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin, 1989. Potter, Gill. "Parent Participation in the Language Arts Program."Language Arts, 66(1), January 1989, 21-28. EJ 381 859 Vukelich, Carol. "Parents' Role in the Reading Process: A Review ofPractical Suggestions and Ways to Communicate with Parents." ReadingTeacher, 37(6), February 1984, 472-77. EJ 291 313 What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning. Washington, D.C.:Department of Education, Office of Educational Research andImprovement, 1986. ED 263 299 Source: Marge Simic |
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