Office of Cultural Diversity: Parent Information
To Fulfill Your Basic Duties as a Parent
- Establish clear rules and expectations for your child’s behavior at home and at school.
- Your child can’t concentrate on learning if she/he’s hungry and tired. Don’t let her/him stay up too late on school nights. Make sure she eats a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day.
- Never send your child to school if she/he is ill.
- Be sure your child’s immunizations are up-to-date.
- If your child is having difficultly in a particular area, ask teachers to suggest specific ways you can help at home.
- Require your child to attend school. Don’t let her/him miss school for unimportant reasons.
- Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t compare her/him to another child.
- Take advantage of preschool screening programs offered by most school districts. Early detection is vital if your child has vision, hearing or other problems that could interfere with learning.
- Set priorities so that your child knows homework is more important than playing or watching TV. His extracurricular activities also should allow time for schoolwork.
To Encourage Academic Growth
- Provide a quiet place at home for studying. Have a dictionary and other reference materials available.
- Expect your child to do her/his best work on homework and school assignments. “It’s OK,” often isn’t good enough.
- Review your child’s daily schoolwork and homework assignments. Ask her/him questions and praise her/him efforts. This allows you to keep in touch with what she is studying and lets you know when she is having difficulty.
- Encourage your child to write. Help her/him write thank you notes to relatives, shopping lists, schedules of activities, and stories.
- Watch TV programs together. Help your child recognize the difference between what is “real” and what is fantasy or “pretend.”
- Play games with your child. Ask her/him to read the rules to you and to explain them in her/him own words.
- Encourage young children to play with paper, pencils, crayons, chalk, markers, and paints. These activities develop coordination and creativity.
- To emphasize important math concepts, use such everyday activities a keeping a growth chart or counting knives and forks when setting the table.
- Set an example by reading at home. Your child should see you reading books, magazines and newspapers. Read aloud frequently to your young child.
- Continue to emphasize schoolwork as a priority for older children. Jobs, sports, clubs, and other activities should not be allowed to interfere with learning.
To Effectively Communicate & Cooperate with Your School
- Join the PTA
- Get acquainted with the school principal and your child’s teachers early in the school year.
- Take part in school activities regularly. Show your interest and support by attending PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, school plays, book fairs, etc.
- Volunteer to help with field trips, class parties, fund-raising events and other special activities at school.
- Call teachers or school officials if you have questions about assignments, grades or school policies. It’s better to ask questions than to be “in the dark.”
- Be sure to notify school when your child is absent. Make arrangements to pick up homework during long absences.
- Notify the school promptly of address, phone or other changes; always be sure the school has information on how educators can reach you during the school day.
- Notify the school in advance if you cannot attend regular meetings or parent-teacher conferences. If necessary, make special appointments to meet with teachers.
- Don’t wait until 12th grade to start thinking about your child’s goals and interests. Get acquainted with school counselors and know what courses she/he should be taking to prepare for college or a career.
To Develop Positive Attitudes & Motivation for Learning
- Emphasize positive attitudes and values—honesty, fairness, respect for teachers, respect for the rights of others. Be sure that you set a good example by demonstrating these values.
- Have regular talk sessions where family members share their interests, problems, and activities. Listen to your child’s questions and ideas and show respect for his thoughts and feelings.
- Organize household schedules and responsibilities. Everyone should have at least one regular “chore” to finish on time.
- Take time every day—right after school, at supper, or before bedtime—to talk with your child about what happened at school.
- Support your child’s interests. If she likes music, for example, encourage her to join the school band, or go to the library and check-out a book on the subject.
- Visit zoos, museums, historic sites, concerts, and other events.
- Talk with your child about the future. Help her/him understand that schoolwork is preparation for her/his future.
- Subscribe to a children’s magazine. Use it yourself to find ideas for educational games and rainy-day activities.
- Help your child develop a personal library. Give books as presents. Teach her/him to have pride in her/his books and to take care of them.
- Take pride in your child’s schoolwork. Hang it on the refrigerator. Send sample to relatives. Keep schoolwork in a scrapbook. You and your child will enjoy seeing how she/he has progressed.