Parents are the First Teachers
Young people’s capacity to learn does depend largely on what goes on during their time away from school and during their pre-K years. A child’s academic readiness is indeed enhanced when parents read to/with them and talk to/with them. Home environments that include books, games, newspapers, and magazines expose young people to stories, pictures and things that are often different from what they may experience in their homes. Neighborhoods and communities that have public or church libraries give children a place to go to enjoy leisure reading and other book events and fairs. Community centers and events that celebrate unique cultures and ethnic groups expand the worldview for children. While there are all kinds of activities and resources which parents can utilize to prepare their children for academic life and improve their chances for school success, many either don’t embrace their role as their child’s first teacher or fail to understand how critical the time is that they spend with their child during the earliest years and even while they are away from school. Even as we acknowledge that there are large numbers of families where the home life is too dysfunctional to expect any reasonable amount of academic accountability by the parents, communities at large can be crucial partners in providing the kinds of academic readiness opportunities and resources that are desperately needed for students who risk being left behind.
Parental involvement in children’s education means more than merely paying attention to whether kids attend school regularly or complete their homework assignments. Not only should the adults be attentive to students’ regular participation in school and classroom activities, they are responsible for ensuring that young people arrive at school ready, willing, and able to learn. This means that parents must continue to do their best to provide the kind of nurturing homes and environments conducive to learning that can contribute to equipping young people to be successful as students. Unfortunately, some parents do rely too much on the television to teach or entertain their children. Although most of us would rather they not watch so much television, we have to acknowledge that quite a bit of children’s programming is educational and beneficial for their growth and development. The number of channels offering programs for youth of all ages continues to grow in a way that provides families with good and bad viewing choices. Turning off the television does give families more quality time together and forces young people to do something other than watch a television screen. Media executives have come a long way in terms of their marketing and programming approaches to the younger generation. Thanks to a greater sense of social responsibility and advocacy on behalf of our youth, the viewing landscape has improved substantially for the greater good.
Parents should embrace the fact that schools and everyday citizens view themselves as teaching partners in helping to ensure that all children achieve a high quality education. As most of us stand ready to participate or contribute in any way, the goal is to help alleviate the potential burden that some parents may feel in terms of the resources or know how needed to engage and motivate their children during their time away from school. It is true that many parents do feel intimidated by or incapable of reading to their children or having meaningful conversations with them, while others simply don’t know where to go to get help or what questions to start asking. We must reach out and respond to these kinds of anxieties and fears that some parents have. Because we know that children develop and learn as a result of what they are exposed to at home and in their local communities, we can all partner with parents to close the learning gaps that exist for those children who risk falling behind through no fault of their own. Regardless of all the reasons why some youth may not get exposed to opportunities for learning during their pre-K years or while away from the classroom, there are enough community and professional resources as well as volunteers who can serve as teacher proxies for underserved youth.
Parental involvement in children’s education means more than merely paying attention to whether kids attend school regularly or complete their homework assignments. Not only should the adults be attentive to students’ regular participation in school and classroom activities, they are responsible for ensuring that young people arrive at school ready, willing, and able to learn. This means that parents must continue to do their best to provide the kind of nurturing homes and environments conducive to learning that can contribute to equipping young people to be successful as students. Unfortunately, some parents do rely too much on the television to teach or entertain their children. Although most of us would rather they not watch so much television, we have to acknowledge that quite a bit of children’s programming is educational and beneficial for their growth and development. The number of channels offering programs for youth of all ages continues to grow in a way that provides families with good and bad viewing choices. Turning off the television does give families more quality time together and forces young people to do something other than watch a television screen. Media executives have come a long way in terms of their marketing and programming approaches to the younger generation. Thanks to a greater sense of social responsibility and advocacy on behalf of our youth, the viewing landscape has improved substantially for the greater good.
Parents should embrace the fact that schools and everyday citizens view themselves as teaching partners in helping to ensure that all children achieve a high quality education. As most of us stand ready to participate or contribute in any way, the goal is to help alleviate the potential burden that some parents may feel in terms of the resources or know how needed to engage and motivate their children during their time away from school. It is true that many parents do feel intimidated by or incapable of reading to their children or having meaningful conversations with them, while others simply don’t know where to go to get help or what questions to start asking. We must reach out and respond to these kinds of anxieties and fears that some parents have. Because we know that children develop and learn as a result of what they are exposed to at home and in their local communities, we can all partner with parents to close the learning gaps that exist for those children who risk falling behind through no fault of their own. Regardless of all the reasons why some youth may not get exposed to opportunities for learning during their pre-K years or while away from the classroom, there are enough community and professional resources as well as volunteers who can serve as teacher proxies for underserved youth.
Comments