Family involvement can help students succeed

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – Students may be the ones in the classroom, but it takes a village to get them to graduation.

“It has been proven and demonstrated that academic success is indirectly related to parental participation and involvement or care at school,” said Dr. Edna Rodriguez, director of behavioral health at Trinity Health in New England.

Rodriguez is a mother who has made a career out of understanding children’s behaviors.

“So there is a direct correlation between active school achievement, academic engagement and children’s well-being,” Rodriguez added.

According to the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), a child’s caregiver directly impacts academic achievement, emotional development, and ultimately graduation rates. Tanisha Lopez, a mother of two girls, is laying the groundwork as her first daughter enters kindergarten.

“My plan is to meet with the teacher and establish that relationship very early on and keep the lines of communication open with her. I’ve already started talking to her about school and making the right choices, and I think that foundation starts at home, so I’m trying to lay that foundation now,” Lopez said.

Cassidy’s mom, Kathy Norman, has been around since day one. “She helps with homework sometimes … most of the time … She comes to most school events,” Cassidy said.

National PTA, according to four decades of research, shared three keys to getting the ball rolling, including creating a home environment that encourages learning, communicating achievement expectations and staying involved in the child’s education.

“There’s a wide range of things you can do. From getting involved in PTO and activities, from fundraising to going to scheduled school meetings, from going to participating in different school activities. Schools, right now, are making a lot of good efforts to get parents involved…They do fairs, they do nighttime activities, they do talent shows…do your best to be there,” Rodriguez noted.

Rodriguez also pointed out that extravagant involvement may not always be realistic given a family’s busy schedule. Norman, also a mother of two, showed that even small investments in a child’s education can make a difference.

“Our teachers are really great. We communicate through different apps and things to make sure that… “Hey, your kid is doing this today,” just to make sure that we’re on the same page and we’re just trying to raise kids that are making good choices for themselves. life and future,” Norman said.

“Say ‘hi’ to the educators and the other teachers and that can make a huge difference because the kids look up to you and see that you care,” Rodriguez said.

Care also comes in many forms. Rodriguez told us that simply matching your student’s energy with their interests is a good start.

“It’s not like you have to do it all or nothing, but let your child take the lead. When a child really cares about participating in something, they will bring it up, make space for it. Go out of your way to volunteer for that reading day or that field day that could be so important to them,” Rodriguez explained.

“It’s what my parents did for me. They set that foundation, so I had something to learn, something to draw from, and I want to pass that on… I don’t think I came out bad, so I want to pass that on to my kids, and now it’s my turn ,” remarked Lopez.

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