Family involvement is a strategy of involving parents and families in the education of their children. Family involvement has a direct impact on the educational outcomes of learners. Research studies have demonstrated the positive effects of involving parents and families in the learning and development of their children (Nokali, Bachman & Votruba-Drzal, 2011). Parental involvement improves the learner's academic performance, enhances morale, and promotes good judgment and behavior. Strategies aimed at improving the educational outcomes of learners are effective if they involve their families. In an increasingly diverse society, involving families in the education of their children allows teachers to understand the linguistic, cultural, and family background of the learners, which in turn promotes learning and continuous improvement.
Social status and income are not the accurate predictors of a leaner's achievement, but the extent to which their families are involved in their learning. Family involvement enables parents and other members to make home environments that support learning. Secondly, family involvement allows them to express high but realistic prospects for their children regarding accomplishment and careers. Families can be involved in school through various activities. Parenting is the first activity through which parents get involved. Other than providing the basic needs of their children, parents can create a conducive learning environment at home. Secondly, family involvement entails communication with the school through notices, memos, phone calls, and report cards. Families facilitate a two-way communication channel, which promotes exchange and interaction. Third, parents can help their children with homework and in creating educational objectives. Finally, they can volunteer their time and skills during fundraisings and other school activities.
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The benefits of family involvement to learners have been documented in research studies. Learner's whose guardians are involved in their education attain greater test scores and grades, have a better attendance rate and homework completion, are seldom placed in special education, and have positive attitudes and behaviors (Nokali et al., 2011). Additionally, they have better enrollment rates in postsecondary education. Even schools and teachers benefit from family involvement. Benefits include increased support from parents, improved morale among teachers, higher ratings by parents. Family involvement increases the parents' confidence in the school. They tend to become more interested in helping their children learn within the home environment.
Linguistically and culturally diverse families frequently seem to be less involved in their children's' education compared to white, upper and middle-class families. It is worrying trend because children from culturally and linguistically diverse families are at increased risk of dropping out from school or underachievement (Whalley, 2007). Learners from these families report low achievement scores and their graduation rates are below that of white upper and middle-class students. Teachers may get the misconception that culturally diverse families are uninvolved, disinterested or uncaring about their children's education. However, it is important to note that these families care about their children's education just like the other white families.
Teachers and other staff must understand that there is a cultural disconnect between school and home cultures that discourage parents from diverse cultures from being involved in school activities. Most teacher comes from middle-class families; therefore, the school's values, culture, and expectations may not suit all families (Prior & Gerard, 2007). Teachers and schools should understand that in some cultures, the education of a child is the primary responsibility of the school. Therefore, they should give culturally diverse families clear and understandable tools to enable them to take part in the children's education (Avvisati, Besbas & Guyon, 2010). Additionally, they need to understand that communication practices are different in other cultures. In some cultures, initial communication and respect are fundamental to successful communication. Teachers should understand the families of all learners. Furthermore, they should utilize various communication techniques to meet the communication needs of diverse families. Holding workshops and training for diverse families to explain to them about the school's practices, culture, and expectations is important. Another strategy is to build relationships based on caring and trust by soliciting information from diverse families and providing their particular needs in different ways.
Family involvement in their child's development differs across different stages. During the initial stages of a child's education. Parental involvement is important because the children are learning the social and cognitive skills required later in life (Whalley, 2007). Getting involved during this stage offers a strong foundation for the child to develop optimally. Family involvement during the initial stage through the provision of the right verbal inputs and expanding eth child's interest enables the child to learn new experiences. Although parental involvement may decrease as the child progresses to higher levels, it remains a vital component of educational attainment.
Barriers to the family involvement of linguistically and culturally diverse families in the education of their children exist. The presence of langue and communication barriers may impede the involvement of linguistically diverse families. Teachers can minimize this barrier by using different communication channels and creating communication material that utilizes simple language and graphics. Diverse cultural practices may also create a misunderstanding between teachers and parents regarding family involvement (Prior & Gerard, 2007). Schools and teachers can mitigate this problem by training their staff about diverse cultural practices. Additionally, schools can encourage culturally competent parents to advise staff about the effective way of communicating and engaging culturally diverse families. Another barrier is the failure of the family to buy into the involvement program. In some cultures, family involvement in the education of their children is not necessary. To minimize this problem, schools must involve the parents in the decision-making process regarding family involvement programs. Finally, they should also assess their programs to ensure that they do not inadvertently discourage family involvement.
References
Avvisati, F., Besbas, B and Guyon, N. (2010). Parental Involvement in School: A Literature Review. Journal of Political Economics ; 120.
Nokali, N., Bachman, H., and Votruba-Drzal, E. (2011). Parent Involvement and Children's Academic and Social Development in Elementary School. Child Dev ; 81(3): 988–1005.
Prior, J. O., & Gerard, M. R. (2007). Family involvement in early childhood education: Research into practice . Clifton Park, N.Y: Thomson Delmar Learning.
Whalley, M. (2007). Involving Parents in their Children's Learning . Boston:
