Teach English in Meiyang Zhen - Yuncheng Shi

The term “home education” refers to the impact a family has on a student. Students, especially children, develop experiences based on activities or events that happen in their environment with people they co-exist with. This paper will identify the positive roles of parents in education. It will analyse the positive impacts a parent has on a child’s education. It will discuss the outcomes that can arise from a parent being involved positively in a child’s education and ways a parent can play an active role in education. A parent can be defined as a mother, father or legal guardian of a person. M. Kelly (2019), reported that “When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” Some of the positive outcomes that can be derived from a parent having an active role in education are: an increase in grades, improved attendance, improved behavioral skills, higher chances of student excelling to the next level in education. I agree, in my experience I have observed where parents can have a great influence on the progression of a student in the education system. Each member of the family can play a specific role to further contribute to the student’s advancement. According to (IISTE, 2016), the mother is the first teacher an individual will come across, from conception the fetus hears sounds and conversations inside the womb. After birth, the mother is seen as the educator. The mother issues physical protection through the issuance of healthcare, and basic needs. She also offers psychological protection through reassurance and encouragement. This is where a child learns his or her social skills, most children display social behaviors based on the decorum of their guardians. A mother’s physiological protection reflects in the ability of a student to feel motivated and to put more effort into endeavors for example, high grades and credits. To some extent she also contributes to intellectual development. (IISTE, 2016) postulates that the father also plays a critical role in education. His role is one of organization and the functional development of the home. Regarding the effect this has on children, most families look to the father as the disciplinarian and one who displays leadership. When a father fulfills his role it teaches the child organization, discipline and most times motivates the child to “fill his shoes”. The effects of a present father can be seen in a child’s discipline to be on time for classes (attendance), and an increased probability of pursuing higher levels of education. They also contribute in the physical and psychological protection of the child. Additional roles parents can play in a child’s education is by being a liaison. M.Kelly 2019, states in her article that most parents rely heavily on report cards and test results to determine their child’s achievements, however the article postulates that a teacher-parent relationship can be a further step in parents having an active role in a child’s education. Teacher-parent relationships are meant to understand the connection between assessments. Having such a relationship helps the parent to support the child’s learning even in the home. When parents take this step they can understand techniques used by the teacher, and can also receive updates on the child’s behavior, school policies and make an effort to help the child understand the school’s objectives and what is required of them. Although learning happens at school behind physical walls, a good connection between the school and parents somewhat extends those walls to the home and so the student is constantly in a structured learning environment and is not torn between two different learning techniques. Family life and parenting have an important role to play in education, and if done right, they can increase a child’s learning ability and chances of excelling. Family life can affect the child in many ways. It can develop the child’s personality which can affect how he or she interprets and understands life, it can affect their dependability and maturity. Parents being active in education can also improve the student’s problem solving skills as a part of good parenting overall teaches conflict resolution and finding viable solutions whenever family issues arise; these practices ripple into the classroom when a student is presented with an activity or worksheet (problem solving). When a student receives support from parents they are more confident and stimulated to learn. One example of this is by a parent making time to help the student with homework and further research. This also develops a routine in learning. Having an incentive system in the home is also very useful as it helps the student to understand that hard work is important and must be rewarded, and where a mistake is made, they should keep trying until they get it right. Parents must provide a sense of security so that their children feel comfortable expressing any issues they may face to both them and the teacher regarding the material. This creates room for any extra help needed, and the issue can be rectified before taking an exam. Parents play a vital role in education. The education of child is a group effort, children learn in the classroom and they learn from their surroundings. If both environments communicate similar lessons, learning will be more effective. In my opinion, based on my experience the education of a child is not solely the responsibility of the teacher, a parent’s role in education should be seen as paramount. References IISTE. (2016). The Role of Parents in the Education of Children. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1092391.pdf Kelly, M. (2019, February 2). Parent Role in Education is Critical for Academic Success. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/parent-role-in-education-7902