“Every home is the university, and parents are the teachers.” – Mahatma Gandhi.

If the greatest teacher, the Father of our Nation, voiced the importance of parents in shaping a child’s future, there is really no denying that. From time immemorial, it has always been considered the responsibility of the mother, father, and every other family member to teach a child how to live and learn. And even when the main role of education impartation got shifted from homes to schools and teachers took over as the primary knowledge givers, the role of parents in fostering and augmenting the learning process of children remain the same.

And now, in the modern world, with greater emphasis being laid on holistic education and skills development, the significance of parental involvement in children’s learning process cannot be stressed enough. While schools and teachers continuously do their bit in empowering students with the best of academic know-how and are also catering to their all-round development, it is equally crucial that parents become active participants in their child’s education journey.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top 10 schools in Patna, we firmly believe that the secret to good, all-round education is not so much a secret, but a ‘mantra’ and that is the dedication, cooperation, and synchronization between parents, teachers, and children. If any one of these pillars doesn’t function right, the result isn’t as good as it should be.

This is why for us, at The Tribhuvan School, educating a child doesn’t stop at the child himself. It rather extends to teaching parents how to become positively involved in the child’s activities at school. We have our reasons for doing so, and in this blog, we will discuss some of these reasons and also throw some light on how parents can actively engage in their kids’ learning process and activities at school. Read on. 

What Do We Mean by Parental Involvement?

All parents dream of the best lives for their kids. The bar for perfection is even higher when it comes to education. Right from teaching them their first words to searching for and enrolling them in the best school, there is no doubt that parents today go out of their way to be active parents.

But, in the context of child development and education, there is more to parental involvement (even for the most active ones) than paying fees, providing for school supplies, or attending the occasional Parent-Teacher Meeting. In its true sense, active parenting means sitting next to your child (not essentially, in their classrooms) and learning with them!

Obviously, this doesn’t mean you need to spend six hours rummaging through a book or online classes, but it means you should be aware of the study goal set for the week. As one of the top 10 schools in Patna, we, at The Tribhuvan School, believe that your active involvement in your child’s school life is one of the strongest indicators of a bright and successful future for your child.

Be more attuned to what is happening at the school – when is the next event, the Physics project submission deadline, any parent-group discussions due, etc. The more you know what’s happening in your kid’s school life, the better you can guide and intervene whenever necessary.

The Role of Parent-Child Interactions in Child Development

Before we move on to the reasons why parental involvement is so important for us at The Tribhuvan School, let’s discuss one more important aspect of child development that parents shape, and that is through the parent-child interactions.

Parent-Child Interactions are all the unique affiliations between children and their parents. In simpler terms, every time your child communicates with you, verbally or non-verbally, it forms the basis of a unique relationship with them. Even the smallest interactions (simple praise for a job well done or a word of encouragement before a test) have long-term effects on how your child sees and interacts with the world.

Studies have revealed that positive interactions at home help make children confident, empathetic, and emotionally sound school goers. Not just that, according to a growing body of researchers, positive parent-child interactions also help in better cognitive development and learning outcomes in children.

At The Tribhuvan School, we believe that two of the most significant benefits of positive interactions include –

• Social, Emotional, and Mental Development – Children are born equal and with limitless potential for greatness. By encouraging your child to do what they love or picking them up if they fall, you build their confidence and self-awareness levels. Children who had positive interactions growing up are more well-balanced emotionally and mentally when they grow up.

• Improved Cognitive Abilities – A positive and happy home environment is a prerequisite for a happy child. A happy child means better cognitive faculties. When a child gets parental support and encouragement, they seek knowledge and start having fun while learning. Such a learning environment is the ideal setup for holistic development.

6 Reasons Why Parental Involvement in School Activities is Core to Our School’s Vision

Our team of visionary educationists at The Tribhuvan School greatly emphasizes the role of active parenting on a child’s overall development. It is not just something we feel in our gut, but there is a lot of scientific evidence to back this.

As per studies, parents influence their children’s learning outcomes by –

• Fostering a healthy learning environment at home
• Setting realistic but high standards of education and learning goals
• Becoming active participants in school activities.

For us, at The Tribhuvan School, it has always been our mission to aid in the holistic development of our students in the smoothest yet most effective way. And thus, we always work in tandem with parents to make our vision of self-sufficient and enthusiastic learners a reality. So here we have brought for you the six key benefits of parental involvement in school activities.

1. Positive involvement directly translates to better academic performance

In our experience as frontier educationists and as one of the best cbse school in patna, we, at The Tribhuvan School, can vouch that when parents are actively involved in their children’s school life, they are better positioned to extend help at home. When parents are aware of our teaching patterns and learning goals, they can modify the home learning modules accordingly.

When there is no sync between these two learning methodologies, students don’t know which one to follow and suffer academically. On the contrary, involved parents can continue a lesson in the same way as their kids learn at school, thereby assisting in better information retention.

2. It betters attendance and behavior in school and classroom

A child’s attitude towards learning and how he/she perceives his/her school and teachers is largely influenced by the parents. For instance, even if the school provides state-of-the-art facilities, has highly experienced and friendly teaching and non-teaching staff, and offers a fun school environment, all of this would still be meaningless if a child is scared of going to school or is not comfortable. This is where the role of parental involvement comes in.

The more children see their parents getting involved in school activities, talking positively about the school and teachers, they feel motivated to attend classes and have better school conduct. The more they become comfortable at school, the more confident they get. This directly resonates to lower drop-out rates as they grow older and also turns into improved learning outcomes with time.

3. It improves mental, social, and emotional quotient in children

In addition to outstanding academic performance, one thing that has always set us, The Tribhuvan School, apart from others, is our focus on all-round child development. And our stride to provide students with an engaging and secure learning environment wouldn’t be possible without the active involvement of parents.

Thus, we insist parents on having as many positive parent-child interactions as possible at home so that children become confident in their own skins. By taking part in school activities, parents become role models for our students and, in turn, help them grow into well-balanced individuals.

We have always maintained that only when parents get involved in the everyday school lives of children, it helps us achieve our goal of nurturing sensible and innovative thinkers. And we are really thankful to our entire parent community for being extremely cooperative throughout.

4. Children with actively involved parents are more inclined towards extra-curricular activities

All of you must have heard the proverb, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” And we are pretty sure none of you would want your child to be dull and inactive. This especially holds true in the current times where one has to be proficient in not only academics but more than that to stand out from the crowd. No wonder, the importance of pursuing one or multiple extra-curricular activities is much more significant today than ever before.

This is probably why besides a robust academic framework, parents nowadays also take into account the presence of activity clubs and healthy exposure to life skills as some of the main criteria when looking for a school for their kids. But although most schools offer such opportunities today, how well a student receives them depends on many factors. And parental involvement in school affairs is one of them.

At The Tribhuvan School, we believe that one of the easiest ways to bond with children is to do with them what they love. It is almost like when you were coaxed into drinking paper tea just because your daughter wanted to play the doll’s house game with you. Or the time when you had to enroll in dance lessons to give company to your son. In the same way, when parents discuss the extra-curricular offerings at school or help their kids prepare for a debate, children are naturally drawn towards these activities.

1. It helps in boosting the morale of teachers

Just like the captain of a ship is responsible for the well-being and safety of everyone onboard, teachers are invaluable assets for any organization. For us at The Tribhuvan School, they are the backbone of all our visions. From regular teacher training to a healthy work environment, we take their satisfaction and happiness very seriously. After all, a happy and satisfied teacher is the cornerstone of good education.

When teachers get similar support from their students’ parents, they feel motivated beyond words. An active parental involvement helps teachers assess every child’s needs and rejig their pedagogy accordingly.

2. Communication and involvement are important for better feedback

Every child has a unique learning pattern and speed. Thus, the one-fits-all mode of teaching is long obsolete. So, for any school that aspires to be a part of the best cbse school in patna, it is crucial that they can personalize teaching modules to fit these changing requirements.

At The Tribhuvan School, we believe that one of the easiest ways to understand a child’s learning pattern is to speak with parents. Regular and constructive feedback from parents about what is going well (or not) for their child, which subjects need special attention, etc., is the basis for effective and personalized learning.

An open communication channel between parents and teachers is fundamental for feedback loops. The more parents are aware and in sync with what is happening in class, the more they can provide constructive feedback. This is precisely why we at The Tribhuvan School conduct regular Parent-Teacher Meets and progress meets and encourage active involvement by parents.

Common Roadblocks to Parental Involvement and How We Overcome Them

“What is the most underused resource in education today? PARENTS!” – Lauran Tripp Barlis

As much as we focus and work on bringing parents to the center of school activities, there are many roadblocks in this process. And not all of them are the lack of time or interest. As a frontier educational institute and one of the best cbse school in patna, we, at The Tribhuvan School, have identified some of the challenges but work actively to overcome these. Some of the common barriers to parental outreach are:

• Hectic work schedule of parents – Work from Home or not, parents often find it extremely difficult to find time for their children’s school activities. Barring the occasional PTA meeting, they hardly find time to visit schools or participate in parent groups, irrespective of how much they want to.

 

• Overwhelming amount of school communication – The fact is that we spend more time on our laptops and mobiles than we sleep! However unfortunate it may be, this is a hard reality. When hundreds of information pieces come scattered from the child’s school from different teachers, a busy parent is very likely to miss some important ones. The sheet amount of communication discourages some parents from initiating their involvement. But at The Tribhuvan School, we have devised a very smooth process for communicating with the parents, which doesn’t trouble them, yet delivers all the necessary info in a very precise manner.

 

• Limited accessibility to school communications – Even today, many schools depend on only a website (or non-electronic) media for communication with parents. While websites are essential for establishing a digital presence, it is also very important to invest in mobile technology like apps, push notifications, and social media channels to disseminate information. Another important aspect of information accessibility is using more than one language to cater to all parent groups. At The Tribhuvan School, we take care of each of these aspects.

 

• Multiple channels and difficult buzzwords – Unlike students, not all parents are adept in handling multiple information channels. Just imagine the chaos when eight subject teachers for one session send information to parents via eight different sources! Certainly overwhelming! This is why we, at The Tribhuvan School, believe that it is best to invest in educational technology like the Learning Management System (LMS), where every teacher can connect with parents via the same platform and keep track of students’ activities.

Now that we’ve discussed the common reasons parents avoid getting too involved in school activities, let us discuss some alternative, parent-friendly ways to stay involved with your child’s education. Remember, the key is to find a middle path that suits your work schedule and your child’s requirements.

9 Strategies to Encourage Parental Involvement in School Activities

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the best cbse school in patna, we understand that it can often get very difficult for you to find time out from your busy schedules for your child’s school activities. But we also know that parental involvement is not negotiable. What is negotiable is what kind of activities you can participate in without losing on your other important works.

Thus, in the following section, we have divided these nine activities into three parts, depending on how much time you can spare comfortably.

If You Can Spare Around 3 Hours Every Day:

• Take part in volunteering activities – In schools, there is nothing called enough help. As many extra hands we get, it only helps to impart better education and make learning fun. A great way for parents who have a daily quota of free time is to become class parents (help in managing class), provide additional support to many activity clubs, etc. This is a great way to know the latest happening in your child’s school and be more in sync with the management.

 

• Arrange for after-school homework clubs – With busy schedules, not every parent can pay 100% attention to their kids’ homework. If you have some time to spare, match it with your kid’s schedule and organize small homework sessions for your child’s classmates. This is an excellent way to bond with other students as well as their parents.

 

• Conduct reading sessions – Reading with your kid is one of the best ways to bond with them and get a snapshot of their lessons. At The Tribhuvan School, we have dedicated time slots for reading and encourage family reading sessions to inculcate the habit of reading books in our students. If your time permits, you can easily organize fun, online sessions with a few of your kid’s friends and parents where you read together and do small plays and trivia.

If You Can Spare Around 3 Hours Every Week:

• Get involved in the school’s parents’ body – What happens in school impacts the lives of all our students, and being an inclusive learning institute, we give special importance to the parents of our students to voice their concerns and suggestions regularly. By participating in these discussions, you play an active role in determining how your child learns. Such activities help build trust amidst parents and teachers and forges a lifelong relationship, not just with students but also with their parents.

 

• Contribute to school newsletters and other outreach material – We, at The Tribhuvan School, take pride in our annual and monthly newsletters that help parents and other stakeholders stay updated with the school’s proceedings. As part of parental involvement, we encourage parents to contribute to the respective sections (in the form of poems, reviews, art and craft tips, etc.) to help school authorities curate interesting and informative newsletters.

If You Can Spare Around 3 Hours Every Month:

• Go for parent-teacher meetings – PTMs are often the most common form of parental involvement globally. Even the busiest parents find time to attend these meetings to discuss their child’s progress. At The Tribhuvan School, we organize regular PTMs, usually on weekends, to accommodate parents’ work schedules. Not only do they help parents understand how their child is performing, but it is also a good opportunity for both parents and teachers to raise concerns and address them.

 

• Become chaperons at school events – Like all other volunteering activities, school events also need as many extra hands as they can. If your schedule permits you, become actively involved in school events or field trips. Help the dance team with some of their props or costumes, become elocution trainers for the school debate team, etc.

If You Can Spare Around 3 Hours Every Year:

• Attend school orientation programs – From the time you were students yourself to today, school education and pedagogy have changed enormously. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing is the same as before. There are new forms of technology like smart classrooms, no textbook learning, content management systems, etc., that can be a little overwhelming for parents in the beginning. This is why at The Tribhuvan School, we conduct annual orientation programs for all new parents as well as intermittent programs if there is a new change in pedagogy. The sole purpose of such activities is to explain to parents about new things in the school and show them how to adapt at home.

 

• Participate in parenting programs – We can’t teach you how to be a parent, but we can certainly try to show you what good parenting is. Just like education, parenting too has changed over the years. What your parents did to discipline you is not something you can use for your children. Thus, we, at our school, conduct special parenting programs on a regular basis to help you cover aspects of child development and general parenting tips. By participating in such a program, you can connect with other parents, exchange tips, and also meet industry experts.

 

Creating an Environment to Foster Parental Involvement

Just as parents are supposed to be more involved in their school’s activities, it is also important that the school provides a healthy environment for parental involvement. And to that end, here are some of the things that we, at The Tribhuvan School, do to ensure this.

• We organize regular PTMs, sports, cultural events, and other social events to invite parents to participate actively and not merely as spectators.

 

• We celebrate family events like Grandparents Day, Fathers/Mothers-day, etc., at school, where entire families partake in fun and interactive activities.

 

• Our mobile app, ERP software, a dedicated parents’ portal on the website, and our social media channels help disseminate information smoothly.

 

• We have created a welcoming and warm environment at our school so that parents feel comfortable opening up to our teachers with their concerns and get actively engaged in the learning process of their wards.

 

• We try to accommodate every parent’s schedule as well as we can. Our video PTMs help busy parents join these sessions from the comfort of their homes/offices.

Summing Up

For us at The Tribhuvan School, one of the Top 10 schools in Patna, education is much more than just imparting knowledge. We strongly believe in the words of the great American President John F Kennedy, “The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and dissemination of the truth.” By working closely with parents and encouraging them to be active participants in their children’s school lives, we basically strive to create a holistic learning environment for our pupils. Our mission is to cater to our students’ academic, social, physical, intellectual, and emotional needs, and parents unarguably play a very important role in making this mission a reality.

Here’s hoping this blog helped you realize the power of taking an interest in your child’s school life and is reason enough for you to start practicing it.

Happy parenting!