Fact: Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher.
Strong attachments formed between baby and parent lead to children who are “more readily able to adjust to life at school.”
90% of a child’s brain is formed by the time they attend kindergarten: loving, responsive and dependable adults are key to healthy development.
The more books in the home, the higher the reading scores.
K-3 students whose parents participate in school activities have higher quality work habits.
Middle and high schoolers whose parents monitor academic and social activities have less delinquency, higher social competence and academic growth.
Family involvement has positive impacts on all children; regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity or race.
Why It Matters: Kids spend 3 times as many hours away from the classroom as they do in it. Lessons learned during non-school time are vital, as home learning can either negate or strengthen what is taught at school.
What You Can Do:
· Hold, cuddle, comfort, speaking soothingly and make eye contact with your baby to build a secure attachment
· Read, talk, and sing to your children starting in the womb, and don’t stop!
· Establish predictable and consistent routines at home, no matter your child’s age
· Create a quiet work space for your child to do homework, check on that homework and enforce that they try their best
· Attend ‘Meet the Teacher’ night and Parent/Teacher Conferences
· Communicate with your child’s teacher regularly through agenda, emails, newsletters, etc.
