Top ways to participate in your child’s education

Of the most successful students in the country, one of the only common traits found is their father was involved in their education. As stated by the Fatherhood Institute, dads showing an interest in their kid’s education Is a larger factor in their child’s academic success than income level, family background, or even their personality.
Fatherhood involvement in education has been proven to affect test scores, child’s highest education achievement level, and a generally more positive outlook on school. [Fatherhood Institute, 2013]

Read below to get a few tips on how to take a more proactive role in your child’s education. Comment below with other ideas or experiences in trying these in the past.

ReadyRosie is the Pinterest of Parenting Ideas

Our local health department and public school system is encouraging us to use the ReadyRosie app to make everyday moments learning moments. ReadyRosie is on a mission to engage families in their student’s learning & the Howard County Health Department wants local dads to know the benefits of fathers being engaged in the education of their kids. This tool is paid for by the county and was built to make it easier for you to help your student excel.

Get involved in the PTA

Local PTA’s are modernizing and looking for new ways to be effective in the community. They love when dads show up and bring a new perspective to the group. Link up with fellow dads on our platform to get more involved in your schools PTA together! Use hashtag #DadPTATakeover to connect share the movement!
Being involved doesn’t mean you have to fit the mold of traditional PTA’s. You can run a dodge ball fundraiser at a trampoline park or ign up for the dunk tank at the spring festival. The important part is being around and volunteering to show your child that their time spent at school is important to you and worth while. It has been proven to make a positive impact on your child’s behavior, self confidence and academic performance.

Help with Homework

Set the tone and environment for them to succeed at homework by setting aside time to work with them on homework in a tidy and organized environment. Be ready and willing to provide encouragement, support, and rewarding a good effort.
When starting early, this can go a long way to not only build great study habits, but it also adds a daily bonding moment to your schedule where they’ll be more open to tell you what they’re dealing with at school.

Other Great Ideas

For a speed round, here are some other great ways to get more involved:

• Be a chaperone on field trips. It’s not only great bonding time, but you get out of work to escape with your kid.
• Schedule reading time. Be intentional about setting aside isolated time to enjoy a book together. No matter their age, pick a 15-minute time slot each week/day that you’ll commit to reading. Once you start a routine, they’ll begin to remind you and expect that time together.
• Weekly ‘daddy and me’ trips to the library to encourage reading. Howard County has one of the best library systems in the nation. For infants, there are great books, puzzles, and toys to learn from while playing. For toddlers and preschoolers, there is always a scavenger hunt in the kids’ sections. Try that before relaxing on a bench to read to them.

Chime in Below

What did you think about this list? What did we miss? What’s working for your family? Leave it in the comments.