Very basic presentation on parental support I did for a parent-teacher workshop - my first. :)

1. PARENTAL SUPPORT
BY: MS. CHRISTINA SOOKDEO

2. Did you Know?
•School age children spend 70% of their
waking hours (including weekends and
holidays) outside of school

3. What does parental support in children’s
learning mean?
Parental Support means:
• Learning at home: Parents are the first and ongoing educators of
their own children
• Home/School partnership: Working together with the school staff
for the best outcomes in your child’s education.
The earlier in a child’s educational process parent involvement
begins, the more powerful the effects.

4. Types of support Definition
• parenting providing housing, health, nutrition,
safety; parenting skills in parent-child
interactions; home conditions to
support study; information to help
schools know child
• communicating school-home/home-school
communication
• volunteering in school help in classrooms/events

5. Type of support Definition
• Teaching at home help with homework, help
with educational choices/options
• decision making membership of PTA
• collaborating with contributions to school the
community

6. Importance of Parental Support
• Most students at all levels – elementary, middle, and high school
– want their families to be more knowledgeable partners about
schooling.
• When parents come to school regularly, it reinforces the view in
the child's mind that school and home are connected and that
school is an integral part of the whole family's life.

7. Benefits of Parental Support for Children
• It is easier for children to learn when they get encouragement at home
• They will do better and achieve more when their parents are involved
• Children get access to more activities in and out of school when there are
more
• adults to help
• Their concerns can be sorted out quicker when their parents have a positive
• relationship with school staff
• They are happy when their parents are enjoying events in the school.

8. Benefits of Parental Support for Parents
• Their children do better when they are involved
• They are better able to help and encourage their children
• They have more information about their children’s education
• Parents can build their own confidence and skills
• Where there is a positive relationship between parents and their child’s
school there are benefits all round
• Parents get reassurance that their children are receiving a good education.

9. Benefits of Parental Support for the School
• Parents bring skills which complement teachers’ skills and expertise
• Parents contribute their time, so together parents and teachers are able to do
more activities with pupils than teachers can do on their own
• Pupils' attainment and behaviour improve
• Parents have ideas about how the school can best support the children
• Teachers have people with whom they can talk over ideas and get help when
developing plans for the school.
• Parents can give advice and help around reaching other parents.

10. Some of the barriers to parental involvement
• Time: Parents are busy people. Parents might be:
1.Working either full time or part time
2. Bringing up young children on their own
3. Have more than one child attending different schools.

11. Some of the barriers to parental involvement
• Family circumstances: Families come in all shapes and sizes and have different needs.
• Parents may find it particularly difficult to attend meetings if they:
• Have a child who is disabled
• Have a baby or other caring responsibilities
•Work shifts or work away from home
• Have a complex family structure with parents who are separated; some might have
new
partners.

12. Some of the barriers to parental involvement
• Lack of confidence: Parents may feel uncomfortable in school surroundings for
a number of reasons:
• It may bring back unpleasant memories of their own school days
• Some may feel that their own lack of knowledge or skills puts them at a
disadvantage
• Some parents may have difficulty themselves with reading or writing
• Parents may feel that there is no place for them in the school or that the school
is not welcoming
• Some men may feel out of place and that they don’t have a role because many
activities held during the day are mainly attended by women.

13. Some of the barriers to parental involvement
• Unfamiliarity:
• Many parents feel that membership of a formal parent body is ‘not for them’.
• They may perceive them to be ‘closed’, cliquey’, ‘elitist’ or ‘formal’, or not see
themselves as the right kind of person to be involved.
• These perceptions can be a real barrier to parents putting themselves
forward.

14. HOW CAN WE SOLVETHESE PROBLEMS?
• LET’S DISCUSS!

15. Tips to help with supporting your
child
•Establish a daily family routine.
• Examples: Providing time and a quiet place
to study, assigning responsibility for
household chores, being firm about bedtime
and having dinner together.

16. Tips to help with supporting your
child
•Monitor out-of-school activities.
•Examples: Setting limits onTV watching,
checking up on children when parents are not
home, arranging for after-school activities
and supervised care.

17. •Model the value of learning, self-discipline, and hard
work.
•Examples: Communicating through questioning and
conversation, demonstrating that achievement comes
from working hard.
Tips to help with supporting your
child

18. •Express high but realistic expectations for achievement.
•Examples: Setting goals and standards that are
appropriate for children's age and maturity, recognizing
and encouraging special talents, informing friends and
family about successes.
Tips to help with supporting your
child

19. •Encourage children's development/ progress in school.
•Examples: Maintaining a warm and supportive home,
showing interest in children's progress at school, helping
with homework, discussing the value of a good
education and possible career options, staying in touch
with teachers and school staff.
Tips to help with supporting your
child

20. •Encourage reading, writing, and discussions
among family members.
•Examples: Reading, listening to children read and
talking about what is being read
Tips to help with supporting your
child

21. Finally…
•The more parents participate in schooling, in
a sustained way, at every level - in advocacy,
decision-making and oversight roles, as fund-
raisers and boosters, as volunteers and para-
professionals, and as home teachers - the
better for student achievement.9

22. THANKYOU FOR
YOURTIME AND
PATIENCE!