A fun activity for a parent-child workshop this month might be kite-making. But rather than making kites to fly outside, parents and their children can make reading kites. All they need is colored construction paper and some yarn. For each book they read this month, children can add another “tail” to their kite. The tail[…]
Most schools strive to turn out responsible citizens—people who not only know how to read, write and compute, but are guided by basic moral and ethical principles. To help instill these principles, schools implement character education programs. Perhaps the most successful programs have at least two things in common: They focus on students’ moral development,[…]
When parents are interested and actively involved in their child’s homework assignments, that child is more likely to complete the assignments, and also to complete them successfully. Interactive homework assignments offer a great opportunity for parents to get involved. Following are some research-based findings about interactive homework. When you make such assignments: Provide opportunities[…]
Parents are sometimes concerned when a school mentions teaching values. The first thing a school needs to do is to clarify that the values to be addressed are “universal” ones—values that transcend all cultures and religions, such as: caring, cooperation, honesty and moral courage. At a minimum, a values education program should focus on two[…]
Parents of adolescents are more likely to be divorced, single or remarried than are parents of elementary school children, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Middle schools and high schools need to pay special attention to meeting the needs of single parents, and also to keeping both parents informed about their children’s education. Activities[…]
You’ve knocked down every barrier to parent involvement, but they still won’t come. What’s the solution? Take involvement to parents. Many schools have set up a program of home visits as a bridge between home and school. For a variety of reasons, some parents are not able to get involved. Others are simply not comfortable[…]
There are some stories that parents would love to hear. These are things that take place in your school, sometimes without much notice. A student wins a 4H competition. A teacher tries out a new software package to make history come alive. Here are five stories parents want to hear about your school: Stories that[…]