Family Involvement Philosophy

Family involvement is a crucial part of children’s educational experience (“How Parent

Involvement,” 2018; Bridges, 2013). It is when teachers and parents or family members are fully

involved in their child’s education (“How Parent Involvement,” 2018; York, 2016; Bridges,

2013). To do so, open communication with their child’s teacher is encouraged so they can

discuss their academic goals, concerns, and ways to be involved in- and out-of-school (“How

Parent Involvement,” 2018). A lot of research has shown that there are several benefits when

parents are involved; some of those are early and higher literacy rate, higher attendance rate,

good grades, and better self-esteem (“How Parent Involvement,” 2018; Bridges, 2013). All in all,

family involvement is essential so that all children regardless of their background can succeed. In

the next paragraph, I will discuss my beliefs about family involvement in my classroom.

Family is an essential part of my life. They have influenced my view of the world greatly

but, most of all, myself and my ability to achieve anything I work hard for. As a future

elementary teacher, I would appreciate working with family members so that our students will

achieve anything with the continual support between home and school. I plan to meet my

students and their families before the school year start so that they feel safe and valued even

before they step into my classroom. Especially since classrooms are now becoming more diverse

so being familiar with where my student came from is important. By making an early

communication, I can plan and support my students using a culturally relevant approach while

also, making the family feel that they are part of their child’s educational journey.

With the best of my ability, I will offer resources for parents to be involved in- and

outside of the classroom. Inside the classroom, a parent volunteer to read aloud, field trip

chaperone, and cultural celebrations can be held so that diversity can be celebrated in our
classroom while raising students’ awareness about other ethnicities. While outside the classroom

involvement will mainly concentrate on their support with homework, review, and projects with

their child. Overall, family involvement will be crucial in my class as we try to build a group of

understanding and a safe community.

 References

Bridges, L. (2013). Make every student count: How collaboration among families, schools, and

communities ensures student success [PDF file]. New York City, New York: Scholastic.

Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/face/pdf/research-

compendium/Compendium.pdf

How parent involvement leads to student success. (2018, November 1). Retrieved from

https://www.waterford.org/education/how-parent-involvment-leads-to-student-success/

York, Stacey. (2016). Roots and wings: Affirming culture and preventing bias in early

childhood. Redleaf Press.