Every parent will agree: our children are the single greatest accomplishment in our lives. We spend their early years watching them grow, develop their individual personality, caring for their every need, teaching them social skills, and preparing them for school.  Then we send them off to school, where they spend 8+ hours a day under the care and supervision of educators and staff – for many families, kids spend more time with their teachers each day than they spend with their parents.

But once we send our kids off to school, our job isn’t over. It is our duty as parents to continue to be involved in our childrens’ lives. We need to dedicate time to homework, checking in on their emotional well-being, and making sure they’re thriving both at school and at home. Some of us choose to volunteer in the classroom, on-campus, or lend our talents to PTO/PTSO/PTSA groups to improve the education experience.

Thousands of studies from around the world have made it clear: parental involvement in education has a high probability of increasing comprehension and test scores, motivating children to attend school more regularly, improving social skills, helping children adapt to school well, and many more positive effects for both the individual student and the school community.

The beneficial effects of parental educational level when the child is young are not limited to academic achievement throughout the school years, but have long-term implications for positive outcomes into middle adulthood (i.e., higher educational level, more prestigious occupations).

– Dubow EF, Boxer P, Huesmann LR. Long-term Effects of Parents’ Education on Children’s Educational and Occupational Success: Mediation by Family Interactions, Child Aggression, and Teenage Aspirations. Merrill Palmer Q (Wayne State Univ Press). 2009;55(3):224-249. doi:10.1353/mpq.0.0030