This was a survey taken by parents of kids in after school programs. I thought it was interesting that more wanted their children to have fun after school and play rather than work on academic skills.

Are there other resources for children who have parents that work a lot?

About 14 million children are on their own after school from 3-6pm. Only one in ten K-12 grade children and youth participate in after-school programs. There are after school programs available at most schools to help children with homework and keep them entertained until parents can pick them up. After school programs are very expensive and millions of children cannot be enrolled in after school programs for financial reasons. Some school do not even offer after school programs at all.

• Of the estimated 49,700 public elementary schools in the nation, 56 percent reported that one or more after-school programs were physically located at the school in 2008 (table 1). Forty-six percent of all public elementary schools reported a fee-based stand-alone day care program, 43percent reported one or more stand-alone academic instruction/tutoring programs, and 10 percent reported a 21st Century Community Learning Center.

• Among public elementary schools with fee-based stand-alone day care that was operated by the school or district, 38 percent indicated that cost to parents hindered student participation in the program to a moderate or large extent, 23 percent reported that the lack of/inadequate transportation hindered student participation to a moderate or large extent, and 21 percent indicated that insufficient slots hindered student participation to a moderate or large extent (derived from table10). Thirteen percent of the schools with 21st CCLCs reported that the lack of/inadequate transportation hindered student participation in the program to a moderate or large extent, and 29percent indicated that insufficient slots hindered student participation in the program to a moderate or large extent.

-Stats from IES National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/2009043.pdf

Stats for Reading to Children

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that of the children who were read to at least three times a week as they entered kindergarten:

• 76% had mastered the letter-sound relationship at the beginning of words, compared to 64% of children who were read to fewer than 3 times a week,
• 57% had mastered the letter-sound relationship at the end of words, compared to 43% who were read to fewer than 3 times a week,
• 15% had sight-word recognition skills, compared to 8% who were read to fewer than 3 times a week, and
• 5% could understand words in context, compared to 2% who were read to fewer than 3 times a week.
• It also found that in spring 2000, the children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading than children who were read to less than 3 times a week. 

-Study by the Parental Involvement in Learning: Statistics
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Parental_Involvement/?page=2

 

What exactly can parents do?

• Have a daily routine. Have specific times during the week that they have to do homework or eat dinner but also set time aside for them to relax and play. This helps teach your child how to manage their time more effectively.

• Make yourself a model for your child. Teach them that working hard can pay off by having conversations about achievements and praise them when they achieve their goals.

• Set achievable goals. Set a goal that is realistic for your child to accomplish depending on their age. Encourage them by praising these actions no matter how small in front of friends and family.

• Read to your child. Read aloud to your child or if the child is old enough have them read to you. Discuss the books when they are done and initiate a conversation.  

•  Talk about school. Regularly talk about what is going on in your child's school. Show them you have an active interest in their life.

• Check homework every night. The best way to make sure your child is understanding subjects is by checking their homework. 
• Volunteer. Schools are always looking for active parents to volunteer in classrooms or on school trips. If you have extra time volunteer at the PTA.

How critical is it for parents to participate in their children’s education?

According to Michigan’s Department of Education:

Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have:

• Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates 
• go farther in school
• go to better schools
• Better school attendance
• Increased motivation, better self-esteem
• Lower rates of suspension
• behave better
• Decreased use of drugs and alcohol
• Fewer instances of violent behavior

When parents are involved in education their kids have a better chance of succeeding in school. One statistic said that children do even better when their fathers help them with homework.

What's This Blog About?

My blog is about parents’ involvement in their child’s school experience.  Some questions I would like to discuss are: How critical is it for parents to participate in their children’s education? How many children are actually given the attention they need at home? Are there other resources for children who have parents that work a lot? What exactly can parents do to prepare a child for school? What can schools do to get parents more involved? And what can schools do for students when parents can't or aren't involved to improve their school experiences?

I think it is really important for parents to take an active interest in their children’s education. Children need to see that education is important for them to succeed. When parents are excited about learning children will be too.