Thursday 24 December 2015

Parent Involvement for Educators: Teach Parents the Curriculum

Did you know? Parents want to understand the curriculum. Some parents haven't been in school in a long time. By providing them with vital information about the school's curriculum, parents can become more effective partners in their child's education. Therefore, provide them with an outline of the curriculum in the beginning. The outline should include a list of topics, examples of methods or procedures related to the subject and how it correlates to state standards and resources for parents.
All parents have very busy schedules so set up a presentation when the most parents are available such in the evenings or on Saturday mornings. You might even want to survey the parents to find out the best time to hold an open house for the school to present the outline and give parents the opportunity to ask questions and meet the school's staff.

A list of topics for the curriculum would serve to tie the curriculum together. For instance, if in Unit 2 for math the students are studying Woodlands. Don't simply identify the curriculum as Woodlands. Specify they will need to know definitions, answer open-ended question or multiple choice questions.
Secondly, give the parents examples of methods or procedures of topics. For example, some school districts use the SEE method to teach how to write sentences and paragraphs. You will need to include how to use the SEE method and what it means in the packet. S in the SEE method stands for statement of your main point using key words and key points of the topic. The first E stands for evidence and example such as details. The second E stands for explain, elaborate and discuss how the evidence supports your main point.

I remember when my son was using the SEE method in school. The teacher didn't send home any materials detailing how the SEE method works and my son couldn't explain it completely because he was just learning it. Homework was very frustrating during that time. As a parent, I don't have a lot of time to waste. I want to make sure my child does well in school and don't have a lot time to investigate how things are done. A handy notebook provided by the school detailing how to get work done would be very helpful to parental involvement.

The common core standards have been adopted by 40 states. How does your school curriculum meet these standards? Parents want to and need to know this information because it will help them help their child with homework and give them the opportunity to provide additional practice for subjects, if applicable. You can relieve a parent's frustration by taking the guesswork out of the equation. Let know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.

In conclusion, by teaching parents the curriculum, you set a good foundation to enable parents to provide the proper support at home and make them feel like they are partners with their child's teachers and school administration.

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