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Houses provide students and faculty with opportunities to cultivate rapport beyond the academic environment through competitions and events which promote a healthy sense of school spirit. Leadership roles and service projects within each House offers students of every background opportunities for developing the interpersonal skills needed in college life and beyond.

The main competition within the house system is the House Championship. At the beginning of every school year, each house begins the process of earning points through various competitions, including school spirit competitions, academic competitions, sports competitions, and community service competitions. The House Championship instills a sense of healthy sportsmanship in our students.

At the end of the year, the house which has accumulated the most points is crowned Champion and earns possession of the House Championship Trophy throughout the following year.

Within the mythology and history of the Village House System, eight virtues are found to be in keeping with the spirit and aim of the House system: Passion, Loyalty, Wisdom, Courage, Protection, Memory, Determination, and Honor.

Dragon

Passion is what drives us to accomplish. It is our motivation and also our fire. Passion is a delicate flame. It must be fanned and stoked in order to grow. Passion is a persistent blaze that gives light to those who come near. Passion is a fierce inferno, once ignited, it burns brightly, warming all around it.

Valhalla

Loyalty is that within us that calls us to remain true-true to ourselves, to our friends and families, and to our school. When all others fall away, loyalty remains, a stalwart companion. Loyalty speaks truth with compassion.

Odin

Wisdom shows us the best way to use what we learn. It is a guide through life, reaching beyond mere knowledge. Wisdom teaches responsibility in the use of the knowledge we possess, to be conscientious with and accountable for our knowledge. As Vikings we should strive to learn new things, use our wisdom to benefit our community and guide others to greater understanding.

Thor

Co urage helps us to stand up for what is right. A foundation of strength, we step forward when others step back. In the face of adversity, pain and grief, courage stands firm. Courage takes risks for the good when the outcome is uncertain. Courage sets its face against the tide of hardship for the sake of what is right.

Valkyrie

Protection teaches us to care for our community. A shield against harm, protection guards the downtrodden, the weak, the forgotten, and the outcast. Protection sees no distinction amongst its community. Protection welcomes everyone with open arms. Protection defends all under its charge.

Skald

Memory reminds us to not forget where we come from and who we are. A monument to our history, it looks to the past to understand the future. Memory learns from those who came before in order to build a brighter tomorrow for those who will follow. Memory remembers its roots, holding tightly to the traditions of old, yet sees the skeins of progress prepared for inevitable change.

Tyr

Determination keeps us going when things become challenging. Arising to overcome, determination propels us forward towards the goal regardless of difficulty. Determination motivates us as we achieve what seems at first unreachable. As Vikings we persevere through adversity, keep our head up in all circumstances and seek out help when we need it.

Vör

Honor is that within us that keeps us true to our word. A light in the night, it guides our path when times are dark. Honor not only keeps us pure of heart, it speaks out in the face of injustice. As Vikings we speak truth through the voice of reason, and stand against the tyranny of wrong.

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Houses provide students and faculty with opportunities to cultivate rapport beyond the academic environment through competitions and events which promote a healthy sense of school spirit. Leadership roles and service projects within each House offers students of every background opportunities for developing the interpersonal skills needed in college life and beyond.

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation is devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes.

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Families - The Annie E. Casey Foundation

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Nearly 24 million children have parents without full-time jobs, and many others earn too little to help their families flourish. We invest in finding ways to connect parents to economic opportunity so that the family can thrive.

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Action for Children: The Art of Positive Parenting (TAPP)

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Action for Children: The Art of Positive Parenting (TAPP)

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Action for Children: The Art of Positive Parenting (TAPP)

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"Collaborating For Success" Parent Engagement Toolkit

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"Collaborating For Success" Parent Engagement Toolkit

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"For Hispanics in the United States, the educational experience is one of accumulated disadvantage. Many Hispanic students begin formalized schooling without the economic and social resources that many other students receive, and schools are often ill equipped to compensate for these initial disparities. For Hispanics, initial disadvantages often stem from parents' immigrant and socioeconomic status and their lack of knowledge about the U.S. education system." Hispanics and the Future of America. Copyright © 2006, National Academy of Sciences.

What the research says about parental involvement
"The research is clear, consistent, and convincing: parent, family, and community involvement in education correlates with higher academic performance and school improvement." National Education Association.

"Research has found that regardless of the family's ethnicity or socio-economic status, the best indicator of student success is the level of parent involvement." Joyce Epstein and M. Sanders (2000) Connecting Home, School and Community: New Directions for Social Research, Handbook of the Sociology of Education.

"The evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children's achievement in school and through life. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more."
Anne T. Henderson and Karen L. Mapp. National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools. Copyright © 2002 by Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).

"Parental involvement in children's learning is positively related to achievement. Further, the research shows that the more intensively parents are involved in their children's learning, the more beneficial the achievement effects."
Kathleen Cotton and Karen Reed Wikelund,1989. Sponsored by the office of Educational Research and Improvement of the U.S. Department of Education.

"When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more. But if parents have a central role in influencing their children's progress in school, research has shown that schools in turn have an important part to play in determining levels of parent involvement. Working to include parents is particularly important as students grow older, and in schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students."
Education Week. EPE Research Center, 2004.

Parent, Family, Community Involvement in Education
"The whole community has a role to play in the growth and development of its young people. When schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll in higher level programs. It is a key to addressing the school dropout rate crisis and affects minority students' academic achievement across all races."
NEA Policy Brief. Center for Great Public Schools. 2008 (PB11.)

"Parents who are involved in their child's education can be a strong and positive influence on the student's academic achievement and postsecondary plans. However, unless parents have the information and knowledge they need, it is difficult for them to help their children explore, plan, and make the successful transition from high school to college. Studies show that parents, particularly those who did not attend college, often do not have the necessary tools, information, and resources to assist their children with college planning." George L. Wimberly and Richard J. Noeth. ACT Policy Report, 2004.

Family Involvement in School and Low-Income Children's Literacy Performance
"Our study adds to an increasing body of evidence that family educational involvement is vital for promoting the life chances of low-income children and provides exceptional benefits for the very same low-income children who face exceptional challenges."
Eric Dearing, Holly Kreider, Sandra Simpkins, and Heather Weiss. Harvard Family Research Project, 2007.

Teachers speak out about family involvement in Education The Gates Foundation released a report of a nation-wide survey they conducted with more than 40,000 elementary and secondary public school teachers this year. The survey respondents expressed their views on the state of American Education and indicated that they are keenly aware of the home-school connection to raise student achievement. Regarding family involvement, 82% of total number of teachers surveyed said that they know they set the stage for student achievement but they also know they can't do it alone. Three in four (75%) teachers said that family involvement and family support is absolutely essential in impacting student academic achievement.
Copyright © 2010 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. Item Number: 279011

"The number of Hispanic students in the nation's public schools nearly doubled from 1990 to 2006, accounting for 60% of the total growth in public school enrollments over that period. There are now approximately 10 million Hispanic students in the nation's public kindergartens and its elementary and high schools; they make up about one-in-five public school students in the United States. In 1990, just one-in-eight public school students were Hispanic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2050, there will be more school-age Hispanic children than school-age non-Hispanic white children." A Profile of Hispanic Public School Students
Richard Fry and Felisa Gonzales. Pew Research Center, 2008.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty "The educational level of mothers is the most important influence on the educational attainment of children. For young children already in the system, educate their parents, especially the mothers, to the hilt."

Anne C. Lewis. Phi Delta Kappa International, 1996.

"There is widespread consensus that family engagement is a critical ingredient for children's school success from cradle to career, and that it maximizes return on other investments in education."
Helen Westmoreland, Heidi M. Rosenberg, M. Elena Lopez, & Heather Weiss. Harvard Family Research Project and the National PTA, 2009.

Engaging students, teachers, and parents to help end the High School Dropout Epidemic "The role of parents in the educational achievement of their children is profound. Students with involved parents, regardless of their family income or background, are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher level classes, attend school and pass their classes, develop better social skills, graduate from high school, attend college, and find productive work. The opposite is true for students whose parents are less engaged."
Report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AT&T Foundation and The America's Promise Alliance. 2010.

One Dream, Two Realities: Perspectives of Parents on America's High School s
"Parents are clearly ready to help their children succeed academically, but they need information and tools from the schools to do so. Parents, especially those with students trapped in low-income or low-performing schools, desperately want to be involved and want their children to succeed. What parents need is an access point - a way into schools - so they can become partners in helping students learn and achieve."
Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2008.

"The majority of teachers and principals believe that increasing their school's parental outreach programs would significantly help reduce the number of high school dropouts."
John M. Bridgeland, John J. DiIulio, Jr. and Robert Balfanz. A report by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AT&T Foundation and the America's Promise Alliance, 2009.

"The young people we surveyed believe the communication between schools and parents needs to be greatly strengthened - that schools need to do more to invite parents in and be part of the solutions, and that parents need to do more themselves to be involved."
John M. Bridgeland, John J. DiIulio, Jr. and Karen Burke Morison. Prepared by Civic Enterprises in association with Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 2006.

Double Jeopardy. How third-grade reading skills and poverty influence high school graduation
Educators and researchers have long recognized the importance of mastering reading by the end of third grade. Students who fail to reach this critical milestone often falter in the later grades and drop out before earning a high school diploma. What's more, the study shows that poverty has a powerful influence on graduation rates. The combined effect of reading poorly and living in poverty puts these children in double jeopardy.
© 2012, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland.

EARLY WARNING! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters
Millions of American children get to fourth grade without learning to read proficiently. And that puts them on the dropout track. This is the time to take on the challenge of dramatically increasing the number of children, especially from low-income families, who read proficiently. © 2010, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland.

Early Warning Confirmed. A research update on third-grade reading The correlations between poverty, failure to read proficiently and failure to graduate from high school have been quantified and reinforced by new research. How failing to read proficiently by the end of third grade affects high school graduation, and how living in a neighborhood of concentrated poverty affects reading achievement and high school graduation. © 2012, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland.

Two Generations, One Future Two-generation approaches focus on creating opportunities for and addressing needs of both vulnerable parents and children together. Two generation approaches can be applied to programs, policies, systems, and research. This paper outlines the emerging case for and shares a framework for two-generation approaches.
An Ascend at the Aspen Institute Report, 2012

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"For Hispanics in the United States, the educational experience is one of accumulated disadvantage. Many Hispanic students begin formalized schooling without the economic and social resources that many other students receive, and schools are often ill equipped to compensate for these initial disparities.

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CORE Languages: The Difference Between ESL and EFL

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CORE Languages: The Difference Between ESL and EFL

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The distinction between ESL and EFL comes from the native language of the country in which instruction is being given. An ESL classroom is one in which English is the primary national language. On the other hand, an EFL classroom is one in which English is not the native language, as is true of many European countries, where it is common to learn to speak more than one foreign language. For these reasons, ESL is typically the term used in the United States, an English-speaking nation, whereas EFL is more often the term of choice in European countries.

ESL students learn English as a Second Language in a foreign country, where English is the predominant language. This gives them a great deal of opportunity for exposure to target language media outlets, practical language review, and popular culture of the English-speaking world. The ESL student's relocation into an English-speaking country typically implies a pressing need to learn the English language, such as for a job opportunity in the United States. Since ESL students are already living in an English-speaking environment, they will benefit from learning key words, phrases, and cultural features of daily life in the U.S. that will help them accomplish everyday tasks.

EFL students learn English as a Foreign Language in their home country (or any other country that is not a native English-speaking nation). The pedagogy for EFL classes is similar to what Americans with English as their first language would experience when they set out to learn Spanish, German, or French with an instructor. As EFL students may not have significant exposure to spoken English outside the classroom environment, they benefit from enhanced speaking and listening opportunities in their classes.

ESL classrooms share a target language; EFL classrooms share a native language. Because ESL students are non-native English speakers in an English-speaking country, it is much more likely that an ESL class will have students of varied backgrounds and cultural heritages. Alternatively, since EFL students are often studying English as a foreign language in their home country, it is likely that the average EFL class makeup would be fairly homogenous.

The terms are often disputed. Part of the ongoing debate around ESL and EFL terminology revolves around the concept of "foreign" languages and the "number" of languages studied. Just because someone learns English in the U.S., for example, it does not automatically follow that English is only his or her second language-it could be the third or fourth, even, depending on that student's background. In spite of the often tricky name game that results, in both ESL and EFL class settings it is paramount that instructors are educated on their students' backgrounds and English exposure as well as their personal motivations for learning English in order to make the most out of class time and amplify the learning experience.

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CORE Languages: The Difference Between ESL and EFL

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The distinction between ESL and EFL comes from the native language of the country in which instruction is being given. An ESL classroom is one in which English is the primary national language.

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Register Now! Early Childhood Mental Health “Skills to Action” Conference – April 19-20th | Ohio Department of Education

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Register Now! Early Childhood Mental Health “Skills to Action” Conference – April 19-20th | Ohio Department of Education

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Register Now! Early Childhood Mental Health "Skills to Action" Conference - April 19-20th | Ohio Department of Education

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Getting the InTEL: New Map Highlights Tech-Integrated Early Literacy Programs

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Getting the InTEL: New Map Highlights Tech-Integrated Early Literacy Programs

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by Shayna Cook
December 10, 2015

Today, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop announce the release of Integrating Technology in Early Literacy, an interactive map showing more than 30 parenting and early education programs across the country that are embedding new technologies in their efforts to support language development and early literacy.

The map gives users the ability to search and browse for programs that are experimenting with new tools (such as text messaging, apps, remote chat, and video recordings) to augment existing initiatives or catalyze new ones. Information on the map, derives from a year-long canvassing effort that combined online survey instruments with in-depth interviews and analysis of published research. Results are published using Atlas, a data-analysis tool with a geographic interface developed by New America's Education Policy Program that is free and open for public use. To learn more about how to use the map, watch this instructional video.

Examples of programs on the map include text-messaging programs such as Ready4K in San Francisco that deliver learning tips to parents of young children; home-visiting programs that use video playback and remote coaching to support new parents; school programs such as TutorMate that enables reading tutors to interact with children in online shared reading spaces, and library-based programs such as Cortez Public Library's "Read to Me" program in Colorado that integrates video clips, in-person storytimes and puppets to engage families in early literacy activities.

The map is designed to put a focus on the need to conduct research on what works; programs can be sorted by four levels of "evidence of impact," with eight programs hitting the "strong" level, which features randomized controlled trials to determine effectiveness, and eleven programs at the "developing" level, which features programs undergoing research or without documented evidence.

In 2016, New America and the Cooney Center will hold a summer conference to help organizations, communities, and state leaders chart their strategies and prioritize approaches for engaging with families and early educators effectively using digital-age tools. The convening will also build new frameworks for recognizing the implications of digital tools on early childhood policy and research agendas in the latter half of the 2010s.

Funding for InTEL and the summer conference comes from the Joyce Foundation. Early funding for the project came from the Alliance for Early Success and the Pritzker Children's Initiative.

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Getting the InTEL: New Map Highlights Tech-Integrated Early Literacy Programs

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by Shayna CookDecember 10, 2015 Today, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop announce the release of Integrating Technology in Early Literacy, an interactive map showing more than 30 parenting and early education programs across the country that are embedding new technologies in their efforts to support language development and early literacy.

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(105) 20 Ideas for Increasing Parental Involvement | Comprehension Connection | Teach | Pinterest

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(105) 20 Ideas for Increasing Parental Involvement | Comprehension Connection | Teach | Pinterest

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Think About It Thursday-Parents as Partners

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20 Ideas for Increasing Parental Involvement | Comprehension Connection

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26 Ways To Build Involvement - PTO Today

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26 Ways To Build Involvement - PTO Today

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A is for Asking. If you want people to participate, you must ask. The number one reason people cite for not volunteering: "Nobody asked."

B is for Black Hole. People are afraid that if they volunteer, they'll be sucked into a black hole of time commitment from which they can't escape. Let them know up front that your group is not a black hole. Then, make sure you honor their time constraints.

C is for Communication. Use a variety of communication tools to make sure your message gets through. Flyers and e-mails are good for communicating a date and time. Use your newsletter and Web site to let people know about your accomplishments. Invite local media to activities involving kids.

D is for Diversity. Reach out to all parents in your school, not just the ones who are easy to reach. Sponsor multicultural events. Translate parent group materials, if necessary. Organize transportation for those who need it. Your school, your group, and the kids all will benefit tremendously from broad-based parent involvement.

E is for Examine. Look closely at your activities to decide what's working and what isn't. Don't just do something because "that's what we've always done." New ideas can create new excitement for your group.

F is for Fun -don't forget about it! Some special people will dedicate their time and energy to a group because it's the right thing to do. Many, many more will participate if it's fun. Make sure your group has fun. You'll build involvement and fight burnout, too.

G is for Gradual. Introduce parents to participation in the PTO gradually. Parents who participate in family events are the most likely to become volunteers. Those who volunteer occasionally are the most likely to take on more responsibility, such as organizing an event. And those organizers are the most likely to become interested in serving as board members. Moving people from step to step takes the stress out of finding future leaders.

H is for Hour, the length to which you should limit meetings. People worry about time commitments. You have better ways for them to spend their volunteer time than at meetings, so don't hold meetings that go on all night. Use your committees to do the detail work. Limit general meetings to one hour, and limit business to finalizing the work of the committees.

I is for Invitation. The best way to get parents involved is to extend a personal invitation. People are most likely to take part in any group when they know someone who already does. Don't just send flyers home, then wonder why nobody "signed up." Create situations in which you can communicate with people one on one.

J is for Just. Don't use this word to describe your group. You are doing important work. You should know it, and others should, too. So don't think of your organization as "just a PTO." If you do, you'll have a much harder time getting others involved.

K is for Kudos. Awards, compliments, a simple thank-you. Always let people know that you appreciate their help, whether they just organized a smashing fundraiser or spent an hour selling tickets at the carnival.

L is for Leadership. Being a leader means looking beyond today. Does your group have long-term goals? How will you get there? If you want to get parents excited, share your vision and give them something to work toward.

M is for Marketing. Sing the praises of your parent group. Make sure people know what you do. When you donate an item to the school, put a plaque or sticker on it that gives you credit. When you raise money, make sure people know what it was able to buy for their kids. A little basic marketing goes a long way toward building your reputation with parents-and encouraging parent involvement.

N is for New Parents -make a special effort to reach out to them. Parents new to the school need your help. You can provide them with information about the school, teachers, schedules, and more. Reach out to them early-and individually-to give them a positive feeling about the PTO.

O is for Organization. Make sure you have bylaws. Adopt sound financial practices. Obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Incorporate. Consider applying for tax-exempt status from the IRS. Take your group seriously and others will, too.

P is for Priorities. Make parent involvement, not fundraising, your priority. Run two or three major fundraisers a year. Then concentrate on activities that get parents connected to the school. The kids, teachers and administrators, and the PTO will all benefit.

Q is for Questionnaire. Don't just ask for your volunteers' time; ask for their talents. Use a questionnaire to discover parent interests. You'll find dedicated volunteers more easily if you match skills and talents to the jobs you need done.

R is for Research -share it with parents. Research shows that students with involved parents perform better in school, score better on standardized tests, have fewer behavioral problems, are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, and go to better colleges. Make sure you get the word out!

S is for School Family Nights. These are events that get parents and kids together for a night of fun and, perhaps, learning. These events are parent involvement. They get parents connected to the school more successfully than anything else you do. Don't think of family nights as extras, and don't make them fundraisers. Schedule at least two per semester. For free kits on a variety of family nights, check out PTO Today's School Family Nights.

T is for Training. Don't give anyone, officers or volunteers, a job they're not ready for. Make sure people know what is expected of them and have the resources and knowledge to do the job. If you don't, volunteers won't return.

U is for Unite. Whenever possible, seek to unite diverse groups. Work together with teachers and administrators, parents of varying ethnic and economic groups, people with a variety of views. Make the parent group a source of strength for the school.

V is for Visibility. Be visible at all events. Set up a table at open house, registration, and school activities. Assign a board member to walk around at parent group functions; she should introduce herself and make sure people are having fun. Put a welcoming face on the PTO.

W is for Welcome, the way you should make people feel. Have a greeter at meetings to welcome newcomers and make sure they feel comfortable. Use name tags so people who don't attend often won't feel left out. Make that first experience a positive one, so people will want to come back.

X is for X-factor. The x-factor in building a successful parent group is balance. You can run a good event or fundraiser without it. But to sustain a group over the long term, you must find balance: work and fun, PTO time and personal time, fundraising and involvement events.

Y is for Year. Plan out your activities for the entire year. Use your checkbook to create a budget, so you'll know how much money you need to raise. Balance your activities throughout the year so you won't burn out your volunteers or yourself. Take the pressure off with good planning.

Z is for Zero In -on building parent involvement!
Originally posted in 2004 and updated regularly. School Family Nights® is a trademark of School Family Media®.
The best PTO advice, ideas, and inspiration delivered weekly. Don't miss it!

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26 Ways To Build Involvement - PTO Today

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A is for Asking. If you want people to participate, you must ask. The number one reason people cite for not volunteering: "Nobody asked." B is for Black Hole. People are afraid that if they volunteer, they'll be sucked into a black hole of time commitment from which they can't escape.

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Sample Best Practices for Parent Involvement in Schools | Ohio Department of Education

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Sample Best Practices for Parent Involvement in Schools | Ohio Department of Education

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Research confirms that the involvement of parents and families in their children's education is critical to students' academic success. House Bill 1, Ohio's education reform bill, requires ODE to post examples of research-based best practices to help schools improve parents' involvement in their children's learning.

The following practices, organized under six categories, are based on the State Board of Education's Parent and Family Involvement Policy, the National PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and Joyce L. Epstein's Framework of Six Types of (Parent) Involvement.

Best Practices by Category

1. Create a welcoming school climate.

2. Provide families information related to child development and creating supportive learning environments.

3. Establish effective school-to-home and home-to-school communication

4. Strengthen families' knowledge and skills to support and extend their children's learning at home and in the community.

5. Engage families in school planning, leadership and meaningful volunteer opportunities.

6. Connect students and families to community resources that strengthen and support students' learning and well-being

Create a welcoming school climate.

Provide a personal greeting and welcome packet for all parents visiting the school, including a community services directory, important school contact information, school calendar and coupons to local businesses.

Have teachers make personal contacts with families through e-mail, phone calls or home visits.

Hold an open house, prior to school opening, at which families can meet their children's teachers, tour the school building and meet other parents.

Provide transportation and child care to enable families to attend school-sponsored, family-involvement events.

Offer translators to welcome and assist families during school activities.

Create a welcoming school climate

Provide workshops and materials for parents on typical development and appropriate parent and school expectations for various age groups.

Print suggestions for parents on home conditions that support learning at each grade level.

Partner with local agencies to provide regular parenting workshops on nutrition, family recreation or communication.

Have school personnel make home visits at transition points such as preschool and elementary, middle and high school to help families and students understand what to expect.

Establish effective school-to-home and home-to-school communication.

Provide printed information for parents on homework policies and on monitoring and supporting student work at home.

Send home folders of student work weekly or monthly for parent review and comment.

Develop electronic grade booklets so families can frequently monitor their children's progress.

Clearly communicate school policies to all families in their home language.

Establish formal mechanisms for families to communicate to administrators and teachers as needed (e.g., direct phone numbers, e-mail addresses, weekly hours for families to call or meet).

Create a families "suggestion or comment" box (electronic and onsite) for families to anonymously provide their questions, concerns and recommendations.

Strengthen families' knowledge and skills to support and extend their children's learning at home and in the community.

Provide training and materials for parents on how to improve children's study skills or learning in various academic subjects.

Make regular homework assignments that require students to discuss with their families what they are learning in class.

Provide a directory of community resources and activities that link to student learning skills and talents, including summer programs for students.

Offer workshops to inform families of the high expectations and standards children are expected to meet in each grade level. Provide ways for families to support the expectations and learning at home.

Engage families in opportunities to work with their children in setting their annual academic, college and career goals.

Engage families in school planning, leadership and meaningful volunteer opportunities.

Create roles for parents on all decision-making and advisory committees, properly training them for the areas in which they will serve (e.g., curriculum, budget or school safety).

Provide equal representation for parents on school governing bodies.

Conduct a survey of parents to identify volunteer interests, talents and availability, matching these resources to school programs and staff-support needs.

Create volunteer recognition activities such as events, certificates and thank-you cards.

Establish a parent telephone tree to provide school information and encourage interaction among parents.

Structure a network that links every family with a designated parent representative

Connect students and families to community resources that strengthen and support students' learning and well-being.

Through school-community partnerships, facilitate families' access to community-based programs (e.g., health care and human services) to ensure that families have resources to be involved in their children's education.

Establish school-business partnerships to provide students mentoring, internships and onsite, experiential learning opportunities.

Connect students and families to service-learning projects in the community.
Invite community partners to share resources at annual open houses or parent-teacher conferences.

Sources

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Sample Best Practices for Parent Involvement in Schools

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Research confirms that the involvement of parents and families in their children's education is critical to students' academic success. House Bill 1, Ohio's education reform bill, requires ODE to post examples of research-based best practices to help schools improve parents' involvement in their children's learning.

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A resource provided by NEA for parents to help ensure their child receives the best possible education.

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HiMama - Parent Involvement Activities for Preschool

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HiMama - Parent Involvement Activities for Preschool

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Parent Involvement Activities for Preschool

February 21, 2017 | By Savannah Copland

Most parents do want to be engaged in their preschooler's learning and development, however they aren't sure how to get involved. Early childhood educators can undertake a number of measures to increase parent participation.

Establishing partnerships with parents is an important step for educators in offering the best possible learning experiences and opportunities within their preschool. In order to develop and enhance the skills of young children, teachers must make an effort to ensure that they are in constant communication with families as well as seek out parent involvement activities to integrate them into their child's learning process.

Let Parents Get to Know You

When a new child is enrolled in your preschool, your first parent involvement activity should be getting to know the family, and letting them get to know a bit more about you. Provide them with a short biography about yourself, your educational background and your interests. By offering parents deeper insights into your life and educational philosophy, you can help lessen the anxiety they may feel about leaving their child with a "stranger".

Get to Know Parents

You should also try to learn more about each parent by inviting them to complete a short questionnaire when their child enrolls. Not only is this a great way to get information about their children, but the parents themselves, too. Beyond sourcing the basic contact information, asking questions about the parents' interests, professions and talents can present opportunities for them to share these with the wider preschool community.

Invite Parents Into the Classroom

Ask parents to be guests in your preschool classroom to encourage involvement. Invite them to share information about their career, and bring items they use on the job to show the class. Or, have them lead an activity that relates to one of their unique interests or talents. You could also ask them to prepare a traditional dish from their culture and explain the traditions of their country of origin. There are endless possibilities when it comes to these types of parent involvement activities, and preschoolers love giving their attention to a brand new face in the classroom!

Delegate to Parents

Make parent volunteers feel like part of the team by assigning specific duties to them where possible. Parent involvement activities in your preschool don't have to be all educational or entertaining - they can be practical as well. Maybe you need help during an outing, or during the evening pick-up hour. Or perhaps you need assistance in preparing a classroom craft activity ahead of time. These are all great ways to get parents involved in the day to day operations of your preschool.

Getting parents involved in your preschool classroom doesn't have to be difficult. By communicating regularly with parents, asking questions, and inviting them to become part of the preschool community, you, your students and their parents can all benefit!

To learn more about why parent involvement is so important, check out our article on The Role of Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Education.

How do you keep parents at your center engaged? Join the conversation at @HiMamaSocial and make sure to sign up for updates from our HiMama Blog for updates on similar content in the future!

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Parent Involvement Activities for Preschool

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February 21, 2017 | By Savannah Copland Most parents do want to be engaged in their preschooler's learning and development, however they aren't sure how to get involved. Early childhood educators can undertake a number of measures to increase parent participation.

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Celebrate  National Parental Involvement Day! Nov. 16 2017!

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Celebrate  National Parental Involvement Day! Nov. 16 2017!

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Family Engagement Activities | Appleseed

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Each day, each week, represents an opportunity to engage parents. School activities build strong relationships between schools, families.

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Introduction | CAE's Advocacy Toolkit for Parents, Educators and Caretakers

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Introduction | CAE's Advocacy Toolkit for Parents, Educators and Caretakers

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After years of budget cuts, and a narrowing of curriculum at public schools across the country, school districts of all sizes are taking bold steps to expand the school day curriculum and once again invest in arts education. From New York City to Portland, Oregon, districts are hiring arts teachers, refurbishing arts learning spaces, and fostering new partnerships between schools and local arts and cultural organizations.

Despite this good news, and decades of research linking student learning in the arts to a wide range of academic and social benefits, the arts still remain marginalized in public schools across the nation and great disparities exist in access to quality arts programming.

If you too believe that arts education is an essential component of a quality education, then this toolkit is for you.

Now, more than ever, the arts need effective advocates in education-and no one can be more effective than parents. When parents come together as a community to mobilize, educate, and inspire, they can move arts instruction to a central position in the school day where it belongs.

As elected officials and education decision-makers reimagine what it means to prepare every child for success in college, career and life, your voice can shape the discussion. This toolkit can help you ensure that your child's school is part of the growing momentum to provide each and every student with a rich and engaging arts education.
The Arts Education Parent Advocacy Toolkit is made possible in part with generous funding from the Altman Foundation, New York Community Trust, the EHA Foundation, and with the support of numerous individual donors.

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After years of budget cuts, and a narrowing of curriculum at public schools across the country, school districts of all sizes are taking bold steps to expand the school day curriculum and once again invest in arts education.

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National Parental Involvement Day | Project Appleseed

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National Parental Involvement Day | Project Appleseed

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Our next National Parental Involvement Day, November 15, 2018 provides a yearly opportunity for schools and families to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide at school and home to support student success. However, parental involvement shouldn't be confined to just one day - it should be emphasized all year long. Below are some ideas on how you can get involved in your student's learning on National Parent Involvement Day, or any day of the year.

Each year San Diego Unified puts together

Our national celebrations of family engagement in schools - calls upon parents, grandparents and caring adults to assist teachers and staff with the day-to-day activities involved in providing a balanced education and nutrition for our students. Schools should engage parents, grandparents and caring adults as an important part of a team that strives to ensure that each and every student succeed.

National Parent Involvement Day allows us to highlight how important parents, families guardians and community are to the education of our children and to say "Thank you" for their contributions.

Principals/school sites and PTAs are encouraged to work together on hosting an event for parents. A toolkit is available below to view and download.

This Thursday, marks the 20th annual National Parental Involvement Day, established by Project Appleseed to recognize the extraordinary impact that public school parents have made in shaping America.

Dallas ISD "highlights the powerful contributions of parents, guardians and other caregivers of our students throughout the year in a variety of ways, including our parent recognition in May, which is usually attended by hundreds of parents," said Mari-Carmen Eroles, Manager of the Office of Family and Community Engagement. "We know that parents get involved in their children's education in a variety of ways, and we encourage them to participate in ways that are meaningful and appropriate to their families."

Getting involved in your child's education has been shown to dramatically increase the chances of academic success. This annual day of recognition serves as not only a celebration of currently involved parents, but also a reminder to seek out ways to make a difference. Check with your student's teacher or the office in their school to see how you can help.

Students also need to know that learning doesn't only happen in a classroom. Helping them seek out opportunities to experience new places, people and ideas, whether that's going to a museum or spending time talking to a community leader. Finding a passion and a mentor can open a child's world.

Noted Eroles, "Not all parents have the flexibility to volunteer at school, but they have time to motivate their children and have conversations about their learning that support academic success."

Be sure to visit the Dallas ISD Parents Facebook page on Nov. 19, to see the messages of encouragement.

A Thank You Letter to Georgia Families

Research on family engagement suggests that when schools, families, and communities support each other, students of all backgrounds and ability levels achieve at the highest levels. The message to all of us in the research is clear: educational programs are more effective when parents are actively engaged in them. Engaged parents and family members give students the support they need to be successful.

The importance of parental support is highlighted during the month of November as Georgia celebrates Family Engagement Month. Schools across the state plan special events to honor the crucial role that parents play in students' education. In addition, November 17 is National Parent Involvement Day, a time for all parents to reflect on ways they can get more involved in the education of their children. Also on November 17, I invite you to follow the Parent Engagement Program on Facebook (GaDOEParentEngagement) to view and "like" the video campaign schools and districts submitted for the Family Engagement Month video contest.

To support you with best practices in November and year-round, the Georgia Department of Education has an array of materials for Title I schools and parents. You can download brochures, school transitional materials, and other resources on the Information for Parents webpage at On behalf of our schools and school systems, I want to personally thank all the parents and families who have taken on the significant role of engaging in their children's education. The importance of your support is immeasurable; schools simply cannot succeed without you.

On Thursday, people gathered at Henry Cuellar Elementary to learns tips on how to guide and monitor children while they are in school. The focus of topic was on gangs. Parental involvement liaison Nora Murillo says parents should communicate with their children on a regular basis.

"Are they taking a major test this week, do they have a major project coming up, so they need to know what is going on in a daily basis, get to know the teachers get to know your administrators and be part of the campus", said Murillo.

Murillo says knowing your child's daily schedule will help improve studentachievement and stray them away from trouble.

Parent volunteers gather for appreciation breakfast

SAN BENITO - San Benito school district parent volunteers gathered at the Gateway Academy gymnasium yesterday for an appreciation breakfast hosted by the district in celebration of National Parental Involvement Day.

The appreciation breakfast was held to thank the volunteers for the work they do for the schools throughout the year.
San Benito CISD has 19 parent centers with 250 registered parent volunteers. The volunteers help with laminating, cutting and decorating bulletin boards.

Presenters are also brought in to provide parents with information on subjects such as diabetes, cancer, autism, resources they can use to help their children at home and college resources to empower them to assist their children in seeking higher education. Valley Star.

Award recipients were selected based on their merits in each of the following:

Dedication and advocacy to ensure equity for all parents and their children.

Evidence of their ability to make a difference in their local school and/or community; and

Support of their local school and contributions to high-quality education for all children;

Active involvement in their child's/children's school and/or community;

State Education Resource Center & Parent Information and Resource Center - 2015 Parental Involvement Recognition Award

Anoka-Hennepin recognizes parent involvement

The Anoka-Hennepin School District celebrated National Parent Involvement Day Nov. 19.

"Over 30 years of research indicates that when parents and other caring adults are strategically involved in children's learning at school and at home, student achievement significantly improves and schools are more effective," School Board Chairperson Tom Heidemann said. "I would like to thank all who make a difference in the life of a child."

Parents peruse literature during a parent involvement dinner at Anoka Middle School for the Arts in October.

The district marked the day with coffee and treats in the Educational Service Center, and individual schools celebrate parents in their own unique ways all year long.

Anoka Middle School for the Arts hosted a parent involvement dinner in October, inviting parents to enjoy a chili dinner and explore topics pertaining to social media and growth mindset.

Parents learned steps they can take to help keep kids safe online and why struggling isn't always a bad thing.

Growth mindset encourages struggling kids to recognize that just because they are not grasping something in the moment does not mean they will never grasp it, Principal Jerri McGonigal said.

"Everybody's going to reach a point that it's going to get hard, and they need to have the skills to say 'I can keep struggling with this,'" McGonigal said.

Parents help make up a volunteer force that is thousands strong in Anoka-Hennepin.

Last school year, 9,399 volunteers put in 162,000 hours of time with a symbolic value of $3.6 million to the school district, according to Linda Rogers, parent involvement coordinator.

The district has over 100 parent-teacher organizations and booster clubs serving kids, Rogers said.

At the primary level, parents often step into the classroom to volunteer for a number of projects. At the secondary level, volunteering most often takes place outside the school day, though a volunteer ambassador program was launched across middle schools this school year, inviting parents and other community members to make the school climate safer during lunch with enhanced supervision in the hallways.

Volunteer ambassadors are asked to serve as "a cross between a Wal-Mart greeter and a speed bump," reminding students what good behavior looks like with a smile and warm words.

"We have great parent involvement, and we've really seen an evolution as the economy has gotten better," said Coon Rapids Middle School Principal Tom Shaw.

Years ago, many parents stopped by the school to help for a half day or more, but with more people back to work, parents tend to come in for shorter shifts these days, Shaw said.

Recently, they have dropped by CRMS to help out with a bird-watching unit in science classrooms, assist with woodshop projects in technology education classes, work with students on sewing in family and consumer science courses, help build sets for "The Sound of Music" and more.

With the evolution of communication, the growing popularity of email and social media, parent involvement at home has changed, too, Shaw said. Now parents can communicate with their children's teachers no matter what their schedules look like.

Parent involvement in "everyday life together" is critical, Rogers said.

"With an eye to the future, (parents) encourage children to dream and work to achieve their dreams," Rogers said. "On National Parent Involvement Day, we salute all that families do to help their children grow and learn."
By Olivia Alveshere, ABC Newspapers,

San Diego Unified School District and The San Diego Council of PTAs are partnering once again to celebrate National Parent Involvement Day at all district schools on November 19. National Parent Involvement Day allows us to highlight how important parents, guardians and community are to the education of our children and to say "Thank you" for their contributions. Principals/school sites and PTAs are encouraged to work together on hosting an event for parents. National Parent Involvement Day Planning Guide

Governor's Proclamation: Thanks to AllParentsOnDeck, LLC., Madison & Verona schools in the State of Wisconsin will in join many others statewide nationwide that recognize the 3rd Thursday of November, as National Parental Involvement Day. Governor Walker issued his fourth proclamation recognizing the day. Schools, teachers, parents and staff will create events that express gratitude to their parents and volunteers. The commitment of parents and community volunteers is vital to the successes of our schools; and is worthy of great mention not only on the 3rd Thursday of November, but throughout the school year.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

As you celebrate our nation's public schools and the value of parental involvement, we encourage you to remember the important role of schools in promoting health and preventing disease. Although we know you are acutely aware of the connections between health and education-and are working hard to improve both in your local areas-we need you to help us spread the word among other education professionals, public health partners and parents!

We are officially launching DASH's Twitter account this week and would greatly appreciate your help in promoting the account to your Twitter followers. After you follow the DASH account, please retweet some of our content that's relevant to your followers and consider tweeting one or all of the following messages:

This fact sheet is the latest in DASH's Positive Parenting Practices series; it discusses the importance of parents talking openly and honestly with their teens about sex. Research shows that open communication with parents can influence a teen's decisions about sex. The fact sheet outlines topics for parents to discuss as well as provides practical tips for making this conversation meaningful and one they can continue having with their teen. If you want to tweet about the fact sheet, here are a few messages:

"Thanks in advance for partnering with us to help spread the word about the importance of health in schools and the impact of positive parenting. Your work is vital to CDC's mission of health promotion and disease prevention.'

"Keep up the great work!"

(Division of Adolescent and School Health)

National Center for HIV/AIDS,

Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

Connecticut Issues Parental Involvement Recognition Award HARTFORD, CT- In honor of National Parental Involvement Day the

Connecticut State Education Resource Center (SERC) and the CT Parent Information and Resource Center (CT PIRC), in collaboration with the CT Commission on Children, held the Parental Involvement Recognition Award. These awards highlight and honor exemplars of parental involvement in schools and community organizations.

Arkansas Department of Education

Supports National Parental Involvement Day!

The Arkansas Department of Education encourages parents, teachers, administrators and businesses to support National Parental Involvement Day Nov. 20. Research shows that a child's academic progress greatly improves when parents or guardians are involved in their child's education.

To encourage ongoing communication between parents and teachers, the Arkansas Department of Education partnered with the State Board of Education and other educational advocacy groups to

launch the My Child/My Student public awareness campaign in September.

As part of the campaign, ADE has posted many communication tools and resources on its webpage and social media sites. Resources include tips parents can use to discuss their child's educational progress and goals, as well as questions and resources teachers can use when talking with parents.

A list of monthly topics is posted on the site, as well as links to newsletters and social media tools.

Three videos about the initiative also have been posted, and information for teachers and parents is available in both English and Spanish. To learn more about the My Child/My Student campaign, go to

Ohio, Wisconsin, Gov's Declare National Parental Involvement Day!

Thank you Sharon Billings and ALL PARENTS ON DECK for making this the second year for Ohio and Wisconsin: Governor Kasich and Declares National Parental Involvement Day In the State of Ohio. Governor Walker Declares National Parental Involvement Day In the State of Wisconsin!

Houston Schools Celebrate for the 4th Year!

National Parent Involvement Day provides a yearly opportunity for schools and families to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide at school and home to support student success. However, parental involvement shouldn't be confined to just one day - it should be emphasized all year long. Volunteer at your school. Your school needs your help. Apply to be a volunteer here. Think about how you can link your volunteer activities to learning. If you paint a classroom, incorporate a map of Texas, or the names of the U.S. Presidents. If you plant trees, ask if you can read to your child's class about the life cycle of a tree.

San Diego Celebrates Parents Across the City

SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Unified Council of PTAs invited schools to celebrate National Parent Involvement Day. The goal was to reinforce awareness of the invaluable role that parents and caregivers play in supporting student learning and public education, and honor their contributions to student success. Details....

Appleseed Focused On

Improving Internet Access

for Struggling Families

By Karla Scoon Reid

National Parental Involvement Day, on Nov. 21, 2013, highlighted a new partnership that aims to provide low-income families with free or discounted Internet access, computers, and training to enable parents to communicate more effectively with their children's teachers and schools.

Project Appleseed, the St. Louis-based nonprofit and founder of National Parental Involvement Day, has joined forces with Connect2Compete , a partnership of IT companies and nonprofits that connect low-income Americans to the Internet. Connect2Compete is a nonprofit organization supported by Comcast, Cox, Freedom Pop, Arrow Electronics and CDI Computer Dealers. It receives financial support from the Knight Foundation, Carlos Slim Foundation, the Wasserman Foundation, Citi, and Microsoft. Read more about Connect2Compete in Education Week here. Click image or click here for free or discounted Internet access.

National Parental Involvement Day 2011 Kick-Off with Tenn. First Lady Crissy Haslam

State Leaders Show Three Years of Bipartisan Support

National Parental Involvement Day 2009 - Governor urges celebrations statewide honors parents

In 2009, former Governor Phil Bredesen (D) asks all schools to advertise National Parental Involvement Day throughout their communities. He urges schools to combine school programs honoring parents with potential training activities such as: information about new rigorous standards and assessments under the Tennessee Diploma Project, interpreting test scores, parenting skills and tips on helping children with . For high school parents, conduct a Career Day and ask parents with a variety of occupations to speak to students.

National Parental Involvement Day 2011- New Governor & First Lady Announce Support

Project Appleseed's National Parental Involvement Day 2011 began with a video from First Lady Crissy Haslam promoting the full participation of parents and families. Governor Bill Haslam (R) and First Lady Crissy Haslam, continue the bipartisan tradition, first begun by former Governor Phil Bredesen, to promote National Parental Involvement Day.

Public School Volunteer Week 2012 - Parent Involvement Contract Legislation Signed by Governor

"Parental involvement shows a student that his or her parent cares," saidJulie McCargar, Executive Director of Federal Programs. "It takes all of us to build an environment that fosters learning and success for every child."

Project Appleseed's National Parental Involvement Day, Savannah, Georgia

Florida

Community based resource centers offer education, training, and support to families.

Project Appleseed Team Up for School Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Project Appleseed have joined together in releasing resources for parent engagement in school health. The release is in conjunction with National Parental Involvement Day, November 15, 2012. The publication, Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health , is a comprehensive guide that will be provided as a free tool in Project Appleseed's Parental Involvement Toolbox . The Toolbox and its Parental Involvement Pledge compacts, for both school improvement and school health, is the point of enrollment schools take to increase parent engagement communitywide. The Toolbox contains a research-based program that is systemic, integratable and sustainable.

Prior to National Parental Involvement Day, the CDC hosted a webinar to discuss how parent engagement in school health positively influences the health of children and adolescents. The webinar featured Dr. Joyce Epstein, Director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University. She provided an overview of high quality programs for school, family, and community partnerships.

The web release included:

Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health

Overview brochure for parent engagement in school health

Fact sheets on promoting parent engagement in school health for -District and school administratorsTeachers and other school staff

Parents PowerPoint® slides for promoting parent engagement in school health

Facilitator's guide for staff development on promoting parent engagement in school health

Texas: Houston Independent Public Schools joined thousands of schools nationwide and recognized the role parents and grandparents play in the education of the district's nearly 200,000 students at the annual HISD Parent Involvement Day in conjunction with Project Appleseed's 17th Annual National Parental Involvement Day 2011.

Television

NBC is highlighting Project Appleseed as a national resource for schools on the "School Pride" education page.

Meet a Deadline with Project Appleseed

Find out how you can help Project Appleseed, a place where they understand that it takes a village to help our schools excel.

When parents are involved in children's learning, at school and at home, schools work better and students learn more. Project Appleseed engages parent involvement in schools. Project Appleseed is working with schools, families, employers and community organizations to develop local partnerships that support a safe school environment where students learn to challenging standards. To get the best results from your parental involvement efforts, we want you and your schools to join our movement to plant the seeds of school improvement in your local schools with National Parental Involvement Day and Public School Volunteer Week!

Texas

NASHVILLE (AP/CBS NEWS) November 19, 2010 - Tennessee Education Commissioner Bruce Opie says more needs to be expected from parents and guardians and not just students. He said in a statement that active parents can influence policies, practices and programs that support expanded learning opportunities. Opie released the comment in conjunction with the 17th annual National Parental Involvement Day sponsored by Project Appleseed. He said Tennessee can successfully rise to the top only with the help of parents. Gov. Phil Bredesen said it's important that parents and educators form strong partnerships that will result in higher student achievement.

A Great Success! Thank you America's parents! National Parental Involvement Day 2010

ALBANY, GA (WALB-NBC) - In a scene that played out in thousands of schools across the nation, the Dougherty County School system thanked several hundred parents for their volunteer work at schools on Project Appleseed's National Parent Involvement Day, November 18, 2010. The school system hosted nearly 300 parents, telling them they appreciate their volunteer efforts. Project Appleseed engages parent involvement in schools.

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Our next National Parental Involvement Day, November 15, 2018 provides a yearly opportunity for schools and families to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide at school and home to support student success. However, parental involvement shouldn't be confined to just one day - it should be emphasized all year long.

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Barriers to Parent Involvement | Project Appleseed

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Barriers to Parent Involvement | Project Appleseed

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Benefits of Family Involvement

Meaningful family involvement is a powerful predictor of high student achievement. Students attain more educational success when schools and families work together to , socialize, and educate students (Caplan, 2000). Students whose families are involved in their education typically receive higher grades and test scores, complete more , have better attendance, and exhibit more positive attitudes and .

Children of involved families also graduate at higher rates and are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education programs (Riggins-Newby, 2004; Norton, 2003; Caplan, 2000; Binkley et al., 1998; Funkhouse and Gonzalez, 1997). Henderson (1987) found that the academic benefits gained from family involvement with elementary school students continued through the middle and senior high school levels. Furthermore, studies have observed these positive regardless of students' ethnic or racial background or socioeconomic status, noting that students at risk of failure have the most to gain when schools involve families (Caplan, 2000; Funkhouse and Gonzalez, 1997; Henderson, 1987).

When families become involved in their children's education, they have a better understanding of what is being taught in school and of teaching and learning in general. They gain more information about children's knowledge and abilities, as well as the programs and services offered by the school (Moorman, 2002; Caplan, 2000; Drake, 2000). Research has found that when parents are involved, their confidence in their ability to help their children with classroom assignments increases (Nistler and Maiers, 2000) and they rate teachers higher in overall teaching ability (Caplan, 2000).

Educators benefit when family involvement is strong, as school staff gain an awareness of the ways they can build on family strengths to support students' success (Caplan, 2000). As teachers understand more about students' lives, they are able to connect learning outside of the school to classroom learning in real and meaningful ways (Ferguson, 2004).

Barriers to involvement exist for both schools and families. Some barriers are created by limited resources, while others originate from the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of families and school staff. (Liontos, 1992)

The most common barriers to family involvement include:

Lack of understanding of parents' communication styles. Some efforts at increasing involvement fail because there is a mismatch in the communication styles of families and teachers, often due to cultural and language differences (Caplan, 2000; Liontos, 1992) .

Teachers' misperceptions of parents' abilities. Some teachers believe parents can't help their children because they have limited educational backgrounds themselves; however, many poorly educated families support learning by talking with their children about school, monitoring homework, and making it clear that education is important and that they expect their children to do well in school (Caplan, 2000)

Tension in relationships between parents and teachers. Parent and teacher focus groups, conducted around the country as part of the Parents As School Partners research project, identified common areas of conflict between parents and teachers (Baker, 2000).

Teachers believed parents didn't respect them, challenged their authority, and questioned their decisions. They believed parents encouraged students to disrespect them. Teachers resented that not all parents sent their children to school ready to learn and wanted parents to follow through more with the academic and disciplinary suggestions they made.

Mobility. Some urban areas have low rates of home ownership. Families that rent tend to move around a lot more, which makes it harder to build relationships between families and school staff (Metropolitan St. Louis, 2004).

Although the benefits of family involvement are numerous and have been well documented, a review of the literature found that family involvement programs were often not fully implemented for the following reasons (Drake, 2000):

Literature Review on Family Involvement: The Home-School Partnership . Christie Blazer, Senior Research Analyst Research Services Office of Accountability and Systemwide Performance Miami-Dade County Public Schools

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Benefits of Family Involvement Meaningful family involvement is a powerful predictor of high student achievement. Students attain more educational success when schools and families work together to , socialize, and educate students (Caplan, 2000). Students whose families are involved in their education typically receive higher grades and test scores, complete more , have better attendance, and exhibit more positive attitudes and .

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Logic Model & Research | Project Appleseed

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Logic Model & Research | Project Appleseed

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Project Appleseed's logic model provides the basic framework that illustrates our program's theory of change. It shows how day-to-day activities connect to the outcomes and impacts the program seeks to achieve.

Increase parent knowledge on how to become involved in their children's education

​Increased student success

accomplished, these activities will lead to the following systemic changes.

Adapted from the Harvard Family Research Project, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Education reform is headed towards preparing students for the twenty-‐first century. Family engagement needs to be aligned with this new direction, which involves disrupting the current state of practice. Educators tend to treat parents and families as bystanders rather than as partners, and often overlook their strengths and their capacity to transform public education. Family and community engagement is siloed into disparate programs that are disconnected from instructional practice and school turnaround strategies. This state of "random acts of family involvement" has to give way to systemic and sustained approaches.

The transformation from random acts of family involvement to an effective strategy to promote student success begins with a broad reframing of what it should look like. Family engagement is a shared responsibility of families, schools, and communities for student learning and achievement; it is continuous from birth to young adulthood; and it occurs across multiple settings where children learn.

Community engagement refers to the support, services, and advocacy activities that community-‐ based organizations-including businesses and faith-‐based institutions-provide in order to improve student learning and promote family engagement. While an important function of these organizations consists of outreach to community members, they also assume broader roles. Community schools, for example, consist of partnerships between schools and local organizations to provide comprehensive supports such as tutoring and service learning for students, and leadership training, parenting education, and health and social services for families. Community-‐ based organizations build social relationships and bring together resources to achieve collective goals. They are often the implementing arm of national education initiatives such as those for high quality early childhood education, extended learning, and dropout prevention. Although community engagement is a vital component in education reform, this research will focuses primarily on family engagement.

In a seperate U.S. Department of Education study, a majority of Title I schools indicate that compacts help promote family involvement. Title I principals were asked to rate the helpfulness of compacts in achieving different types of school and family outcomes. Responses tended to differ by school poverty, with the highest-poverty schools finding compacts most helpful.

In the highest-poverty schools, 85 percent of principals found Title I compacts helpful in supporting homework completion.About 8 out of 10 principals in high-poverty Title I schools rated compacts as helpful, as did a majority of principals in low-poverty schools.

Across all schools, about 30 percent of the principals considered compacts "very helpful".Principals perceived compacts as having the greatest impact on homework completion, school climate, student discipline, and reading at home-factors that are amenable to intervention by school-family partnership activities.

Data from the Prospects study of student outcomes (1998) provide evidence that when compacts are effectively implemented, positive student outcomes, including higher achievement, result. Schools with compacts were compared with non-compact schools on parental involvement and student achievement. Schools with compacts had higher levels of family involvement in those activities in which parents worked directly with their own children. These activities included parents' monitoring of homework and reading with their children. The study concluded that, after controlling for other factors, positive student outcomes found in compact schools were associated with the greater involvement of parents in supporting their own children's learning. Other activities, such as volunteering and decision making, may be valuable in their own right but were not shown to significantly affect learning.

In a second study from the same time period an examination of ten schools found that four aspects of parent involvement in their own children's education correlated highly with achievement and other outcomes. These were: the parent caring about what occurred in the Title I classroom; the parent encouraging the student to read; the parent keeping track of the child's progress in school work; and the parent making sure that there was a place for the child to study at home.

Because the data in the first study covered the early 1990s, before the Title I compact requirement, compact schools were ones that initiated the compact on their own and presumably were committed to its success. Now that compacts are required in all Title I schools, achieving this level of commitment in all schools will take more effort. Source: Heid, C., & Webber, A. (1999). School-level implementation of standards-based reform: Findings from the Follow-Up Public School Survey on Education Reform. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

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Project Appleseed Parental Involvement in Public Schools

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Project Appleseed's logic model provides the basic framework that illustrates our program's theory of change. It shows how day-to-day activities connect to the outcomes and impacts the program seeks to achieve. Increase parent knowledge on how to become involved in their children's education ​Increased student success accomplished, these activities will lead to the following systemic changes.

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Education World: Activities to promote parent involvement

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Education World: Activities to promote parent involvement

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Research shows that children are more likely to succeed academically and are less likely to engage in violent behavior if their families are involved in their education. Many parents say, however, that they feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in their children's schools. Teachers often feel under attack by parents who are highly involved. Learn how to bridge the gap. Included: A dozen activities to promote parental involvement and ten tips for involved parents.
The following quote comes from Fathers' Involvement in Their Children's Schools, a report from the National Center for Education Statistics. "School-aged children in both two-parent and single-parent families are more likely to get mostly A's, to enjoy school, and to participate in extracurricular activities and are less likely to have ever repeated a grade and to have ever been suspended or expelled if their fathers or mothers have high as opposed to low levels of involvement in their schools."

Additional studies have found that parental involvement is more important to student success, at every grade level, than family income or education. However, Strong Families, Strong Schools, a report that reflects 30 years of research on family involvement in education, stated the sad fact that "in many instances parents don't feel as if we welcome them in school."
Build a Bridge
"Educators need to be willing to recognize the extent of this disconnection as a precondition for involving families in their children's education," the report continued, offering the following suggestions for reducing that feeling of disconnection:

Be sure the first contact with parents is a positive one.

Communicate with parents straightforwardly and simply, avoiding educational "jargon."

Ensure that all parents have regular access to clear, concise, and easily readable information about their children's school and classroom.

Ask parents to share their concerns and opinions about school, and then address those concerns.

Accommodate parents' work schedules.

Accommodate language and cultural differences.

The National PTA has also set the following National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs:

Encourage active parent participation in student learning.

Establish regular, meaningful communication between home and school.

Collaborate with parents to ensure that children have a supportive learning environment at school and at home.

Welcome parents as advocates for their children as well as the school's other students.

Invite parents to act as full partners in making school decisions that affect children and families.

Reach out to the community for resources to strengthen schools.

The activities below will help you meet those standards by letting parents know they are welcome in school and by helping them find ways to contribute to their children's education both in and out of school.

Put Out the Welcome Mat

Create a school climate and structures that support family involvement.

Provide families with a list of required mastery skills for each subject taught at your grade level.

Invite families to share hopes for and concerns about children and then work together to set student goals.

Print and send home:

Initiate a classroom volunteer program.

Create a parent resource center. Provide materials on issues of concern to parents, such as child development, health and safety, drug education, special education, and so on. Include information about local parenting and social services agencies. If possible, provide sample textbooks, extension activities, software, and audio and videotapes.

Create a classroom Web site and include a parent page.

Set up a homework hot line students or parents can call to get forgotten or missed assignments.

Invite parents to present talks and/or demonstrations about their specialized knowledge or skills.

Following conference or report card time, offer workshops on improving grades and study skills.

Maintain regular communication by sending home

Weekly folders of student work.

Monthly calendars of special events to be celebrated or taught.

A regular class newsletter.

Weekly work sheets containing activities students and families can do together.

Compile a wish list that includes both goods -- from craft sticks to carpet squares to software -- and services -- from stapling newsletters to chaperoning field trips to coordinating special events -- that parents might provide. Be sure the list includes many free or inexpensive items and activities that do not demand a great deal of time or a long-term commitment.
Additional Resources

Project Appleseed
This non-profit, national campaign advocates improvement in public schools by increasing parental involvement in U.S. schools.

The National PTA
This site provides a number of documents offering ideas for teachers and schools who want to encourage and promote parental involvement in education.

National Network of Partnership Schools
Established by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, this organization helps schools, districts, and states develop and maintain programs that promote school-family-community partnerships.

Article by Linda Starr
Education World®
Copyright © Education World

Don't miss dozens of additional resources on Education World's special Parent Involvement page.

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Activities to Promote Parent Involvement

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Research shows that children are more likely to succeed academically and are less likely to engage in violent behavior if their families are involved in their education. Many parents say, however, that they feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in their children's schools. Teachers often feel under attack by parents who are highly involved.

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19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School | Edutopia

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19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School | Edutopia

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Parent involvement in their children's education can be one of the biggest predictors of student success. This presentation offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection.
19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School
The recommendations were contributed by the educators and parents of the two great communities at Edutopia.org and GreatSchools.org.

Always remember to keep trying new things as you work together with families to build a culture of engagement at your school.

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19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School

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Parent involvement in their children's education can be one of the biggest predictors of student success. This presentation offers 19 proven strategies for increasing family engagement and strengthening the home-to-school connection. 19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School The recommendations were contributed by the educators and parents of the two great communities at Edutopia.org and GreatSchools.org.

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5 Ways to Boost Parental Involvement at Low-Income Schools | The Science of Learning

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5 Ways to Boost Parental Involvement at Low-Income Schools | The Science of Learning

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The great Chinese philosopher Confucius professes, "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand."

It's been proven time and again: students from low-income families are at higher risk for academic and social problems. We know that parental involvement is crucial to success in school. Let us remember our role as educators in garnering that involvement and take a look at 5 ways to encourage parental involvement at our schools:

1. Ditch stereotypical beliefs about parents and poverty

Lisa Montez Sullivan, a teacher in Detroit, reminds us, "For a great many [...] students, just making it to school every day is a triumph." We must not forget that we are entrusted with the care of children who may not have access to many basic resources. We may take for granted our vast and appropriate wardrobes, full stomachs, and stable, safe lives. While we may not easily see which of our students are hungry, we have a responsibility to arrive in our classrooms every day with kindness and compassion. Too often, we are blind to our own stereotypical beliefs about students and families living in poverty. When we believe that parents of poor students care less than parents of the affluent, we do our students and society a monolithic disservice. Actually, studies show that parents of lower socioeconomic status "want to be involved in their...students' education just as much as parents with higher incomes and more education" ("What Schools Need"). In order to best help our students, we must first relieve ourselves of inaccurate beliefs. Many teachers blame the lack of parental involvement on the parents themselves, reasoning that they just don't care. If we operate on the assumption that parents do care, which represents the truth rather than steadfast opinions without merit, we can put professionalism and empathy at the forefront of communication. It doesn't take hard work - it's just connecting with another human at their level. Look for ways to engage parents with you first, as a stepping stone on the road to supporting their children's education.

2. Connect with parents ASAP

Connecting with parents should happen as soon as possible in the school year. Don't underestimate the value of a personalized phone call, email, in-person conversation or letter home. According to a recent Edutopia article titled, "How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community?," - "Families living in poverty often work multiple jobs, may have limited English language skills, and in some cases have had few positive experiences with their children's teachers or schools." Because parents are busy and often overwhelmed, they may not initiate the conversation. Therefore, as the education professional, one thing you can do from the beginning is to initiate that first positive contact. According to One Dream, Two Realities, a project that examined attitudes about parental involvement in schools, "Schools should avoid waiting until there is a disciplinary problem to contact parents and should give parents opportunities for involvement early in the...process so that the first call they receive is not one telling them their child is in trouble."

A friendly message from the teacher fosters open, comfortable communication systems and mutual respect, and when helping students succeed becomes a group effort, academics and attitudes improve. You know the old adage: catch them doing something good! Then share it with their parents.

3. Offer services and events that bring parents into the school

A good way to welcome families to a school is to offer free classes and workshops that focus on topics of interest. According to Nate Nielsen, the support representative for Memberhub.com, "Teachers and/or outside speakers can discuss any number of topics [...], including family nutrition, child development, constructive and non-constructive ways for parents to help with kids' homework, the importance of quality sleep for busy kids, etc." Schools should aim to meet the needs of non-English-speaking parents as well as English-speaking parents. When schools actively encourage parental involvement, parents begin to feel welcomed, and their often negative preconceived notions about school begin to dissipate. Create a community of hope and trust -- show how much you care about your students beyond the classroom.

4. Publicize volunteer opportunities and student involvement

By outlining specific ways for parents to help in the classroom and at school in general, schools can draw parents into the learning environment. From inviting parents to watch group presentations to asking them to chaperone field trips, a direct call for volunteers is less daunting than a general statement about the importance of parental involvement. Samer Rabadi, Online Community Engagement Manager, recommends creating a list of different ideas for involvement that will draw parents in who may be hesitant to boldly presume their specific services are appreciated. Keeping options open to parents and communicating classroom needs will foster a comfortable relationship between the school and parents for maximum involvement.

Another way to get parents to come to school is to showcase what students are learning and accomplishing. Inviting parents to stroll through the halls to view their children's artwork on display, or asking them to sit in the audience during a pep assembly will guide parents proudly to students' successful efforts. To broaden the involvement process and build on the idea of community, the principal can be encouraged to meet and talk with parents, and students can write and send thank-you notes to the parents for attending (Rabadi).

5. Ask parents for their ideas

Schools can include parents by regularly asking for feedback regarding issues of concern. Education consultant and author, Tom Whitby, suggests that, before Back-to-School Night, teachers elicit questions from parents about potential discussion topics. Asking parents to pose topics of interest makes them feel valued and garners interest in an unexpected manner. Instead of opening a dialogue with teachers and administrators only during times of dissatisfaction and frustration, parents will feel more empowered as they begin to genuinely understand their child's specific academic journey. They may appreciate the opportunity to be directly involved with their child's school experiences, and a culture of common understanding will begin to thrive.

Confucius told us over 2000 years ago that involvement is the key to understanding. We see that his words still hold value, and as educators ourselves, may we always strive to build a bridge to understanding, for therein lies the greatest hope for our students and for humanity.

References:
Educating Parents about Education
10 Things I Never Thought I Would Hear as an Inner City School Teacher
How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community?
Road Tested / Three Ways to Engage Parents in High-Poverty Settings
19 Proven Tips for Getting Parents Involved at School
What schools need to do to get low-income parents involved in children's education
Fast ForWord is helping high-poverty, Title 1 schools turnaround academic achievement, fast. Learn More.

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5 Ways to Boost Parental Involvement at Low-Income Schools

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The great Chinese philosopher Confucius professes, "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand." It's been proven time and again: students from low-income families are at higher risk for academic and social problems. We know that parental involvement is crucial to success in school.

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How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community? | Edutopia

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How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community? | Edutopia

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How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage Families and the Community?

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High-poverty schools can involve students’ families through home visits and by joining the community’s safety net to provide social and medical services for those in need.

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What schools need to do to get low-income parents involved in children's education

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What schools need to do to get low-income parents involved in children's education

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Educational Research Newsletter and Webinars

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Contrary to prevailing myth, parents of low socioeconomic status (SES) want to be involved in their high school students' educations just as much as parents with higher incomes and more education, according to a national study of 1,006 parents funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"What parents need is an access point-a way into the schools-so they can become partners in helping students learn and achieve," according to One Dream, Two Realities, which examined the attitudes towards involvement in schools of parents with children in schools that were rated high-performing, moderate-performing and low-performing.

Parents of all backgrounds and with children in both high-performing and low-performing schools had remarkably similar views about what schools could do to help them more effectively support the education of their children.

Some of their recommendations include:

Prompt notification of academic or other problems such as skipping school or cutting classes;

earlier contact in 8th or 9th grades to ensure parents know what their child needs to be successful as the student transitions to high school;

more information about requirements for graduation and college admission; and

single point of contact (teacher, advisor or advocate), homework hotlines and flexible conferences.

"They (teachers) know firsthand what the kids are doing. The first signs of downfall begin at school, and we are not there in class, we need an early reaction from the teacher about what is happening," one Los Angeles parent noted.

The study was conducted from June 21 to July 8, 2007. The sample's racial breakdown is 12% African American, 13% Hispanic and 70% white. Half of the parents had children in high school at the time of the survey and the other half were parents of children who had been enrolled in high school in the past five years.

The survey showed that, regardless of SES, parents understand the importance of a good education and the importance of their involvement in their children's educations.

Some of the findings were:

Hispanic and African-American parents were more likely to consider going to college very important, compared to white parents: 90% of Hispanic parents and 92% of African-American parents consider going to college very important compared to 78% of white parents.

Parents with high school degrees are more likely to believe that what children have to learn today to compete in the workforce is much different than it was 20 years ago when they were students than better educated parents: 70% of parents with a high school degree believe this is true, compared with 52% of parents with a college degree and 49% with a graduate degree.

85% of parents at low-performing schools think it is important for parents of high school students to be involved as advocates for their children compared to 78% of parents of students in high-performing schools.

Barriers to involvement
If parents know their involvement is so important, why aren't they more involved? Not surprisingly, for 2/3s of parents who believe they should be more involved it's lack of time: 38% identified work or a full-time job as a major obstacle and 26% said other demands on their time and scheduling conflicts interfered with their involvement.

Of greater interest to educators are the reasons cited by the remaining 1/3 who do not attribute their lack of involvement to time:

12% cite a lack of information, communi cation and knowledge of what is going on;

6% say they would like to have more contact from the school;

only 5% cite their own lack of education and knowledge about what is being taught in school as barriers;

37% of parents of children in low-performing schools list one of those 4 reasons for lower levels of involvement while only 21% of high-performing school parents do; and

only 42% of parents at the low-performing schools feel they are as involved as they should be.

"High performing schools do a better job of communicating with parents," the study reports. Almost twice as many parents in high- performing schools said their schools were doing a very good or fairly good job communicating with them about their child's academic performance as parents with children in low-performing schools(83% vs. 43%).

" I think the bottom line is the teachers should monitor the progress of your kid academically and have some kind of agreement, maybe even before school starts, between the parent and teachers involved. Then you have collaboration between the two before school starts. if there's any sort of difficulty, you have that. the schools should offer a working relationship with the parent," said a Cincinnati parent.

The survey is a call for new, effective strategies for improved parent engagement, the researchers say. Among their recommendations:

Each teacher should incorporate homework assignments that involve families in every course

A meeting should be arranged during the student's first year of high school between the parents, the school contact person, and the student.

Schools should make strong efforts to accommodate the varying needs of parents, whether they involve translating the student handbook, offering bus service or incorporating home visits.

Parents should be recruited to serve as liaisons between the school and other
parents.

Schools should look for ways to offer stipends or other benefits to teachers who spend time after hours working with parents.

Beyond these recommendations, study authors recommend that schools consider partnering with community organizations to offer classes for parents about how to become engaged in their children's education. The classes should be offered at times most convenient for parents, with child care provided so that single parents can attend.

One of the more surprising findings, according to the study authors, was that "parents' satisfaction with their child's school is more dependent on the quality of the school the child attends than it is on the grades their child receives.

"Schools, by and large, do not need to embark on a campaign to persuade parents that their children's education matters or that they as parents need to understand the importance of their role," the researchers write.

The study authors call on schools "to find new, practical and systematic ways to encourage parental involvement and create new types of opportunities so that that parents will be able to act more effectively on the knowledge and concern they already have."

Schools should avoid waiting until there is a disciplinary problem to contact parents and should give parents opportunities for involvement early in the high school process so that the first call they receive is not one telling them their child is in trouble.
"One Dream, Two Realities," John Bridgeland et al, Civic Enterprises, October 2008.

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What schools need to do to get low-income parents involved in children's education

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Contrary to prevailing myth, parents of low socioeconomic status (SES) want to be involved in their high school students' educations just as much as parents with higher incomes and more education, according to a national study of 1,006 parents funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Education Update:Teaching to the Teenage Brain:Three Ways to Engage Parents in High-Poverty Settings

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Education Update:Teaching to the Teenage Brain:Three Ways to Engage Parents in High-Poverty Settings

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Tiffany Anderson

All parents want to see their children succeed. Low parental involvement is generally not an indicator of low interest, but rather of community barriers that prevent schools from effectively engaging parents. As a school leader who has served in several high-poverty environments, I have found that it is possible to remove many of these barriers and engage families in meaningful ways.

Make Allies and Ask Questions

To begin building a positive rapport with your families, identify parents who have relationships across the community. Express how valuable their input is to your school's success and ask them to participate in a focus group. It is often hard for parents to explain why other parents are not involved, but asking specific questions can help identify barriers to engagement:

What are the challenges you face daily? (Our parents have expressed concerns about finding jobs, feeding their families, and even washing laundry.)

What is the most common complaint you hear from other parents about the community or its schools?

Are you active in any community events or organizations? If so, what are they and why are you involved?

Is the school or district a welcoming place?

What are the top three neighborhood issues that parents face in the district?

Where do you get information about the neighborhood?

What businesses do most families in the community frequent?

Gathering feedback and discussing solutions with these parents has helped our district generate further questions, conversations, and surveys to extend to all of our families. The more information our schools have, the more strategic we can be in providing families direct assistance through resources, education, and employment.

Creatively Publicize Information

If your families do not often read the newspaper, have access to the Internet, or read materials that come home, consider advertising school events in other venues. In addition to using traditional methods of communication, our district places flyers at the local chop suey restaurant and in our community grocery stores. We also notify families of upcoming events through text messages, automated phone calls, and public service announcements on local radio stations.

Become a Vehicle for the Community

When concerns about crime in our community were increasing, our district decided to sponsor a town hall meeting. We leveraged the opportunity to not only address the issue of crime, but to also engage families in sessions on achievement, community services, and school volunteerism. There are many ways to foster parental engagement, but we have been especially successful through events like these and by providing our families with basic resources.

To make your schools a true vehicle for the community, consider offering the following services:

Host job fairs and workshops for parents on topics such as computer literacy, job placement, healthy cooking and eating, and earning a GED. These workshops, led by volunteer staff and community members, can be offered at PTA meetings or during school hours (which has the added bonus of increasing family visibility within the school). Schools can waive admission fees for workshops in exchange for school volunteer hours.

Provide bus passes for students and parents to ride to school together, or provide bus passes or cabs for parents to attend school events.

Allow parents to wash clothing with supplies provided by the school in exchange for volunteering (one load of laundry equals one hour of volunteering in the school).

Offer employment when possible to families within the community.

Collaborate with community agencies such as the YMCA, neighborhood watch, local library, and recreation center-and offer to host events sponsored by these groups.

Partner with a local thrift store or food pantry-or open one in your school-to supply families with clothing and regular access to groceries. Our district operates a school-based pantry that is run by students and staff members and stocked by the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

In addition to providing a full meal at parent activities (workshops, parent-teacher conferences, book clubs, etc.), provide a bag of groceries to parents in attendance. We offer groceries to the first 30 families who show up at an event, and we always have more parents in attendance than groceries. Most of our elementary schools receive more than 100 families at these activities.

Help build home libraries by providing a book to families at every parent function or every time a parent volunteers at the school. We prioritize funding for this initiative in our school operating budget, and also through donations and grants.

Partner with social services to provide resources to families within the school such as family counseling services, mental health supports, and welfare services.

The key to high parental involvement is removing barriers by building genuine relationships that result in a culture of understanding, support, and collaboration. As our district has discovered, when we support our families, our families have been instrumental in supporting our schools.
Tiffany Anderson is the superintendent of the Jennings School District and an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri.

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Three Ways to Engage Parents in High-Poverty Settings

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Tiffany Anderson All parents want to see their children succeed. Low parental involvement is generally not an indicator of low interest, but rather of community barriers that prevent schools from effectively engaging parents. As a school leader who has served in several high-poverty environments, I have found that it is possible to remove many of these barriers and engage families in meaningful ways.

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Poverty Crisis in Education | Scientific Learning

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Poverty Crisis in Education | Scientific Learning

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Most teachers spend hours outside of the regular work day grading, planning lessons, and dreaming up ways to engage, motivate, and teach their students better every day. If teachers are working so hard, there must be some other reason for the growing achievement gap in America. Teachers blame students, parents, or administrators.

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How to Help Students of Poverty Succeed | The Science of Learning

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How to Help Students of Poverty Succeed | The Science of Learning

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If you have a student who simply doesn't respond well to your directions, listen up. The student may have weak working memory, a skill that cognition experts say we should be increasingly concerned about because it's a leading predictor of poor academic success.

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Schools must take an active role in educating disengaged parents

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Schools must take an active role in educating disengaged parents

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Which is why the onus should also fall onto schools, not just to communicate more explicitly and informatively with their own parents, (which has its own implications about the role of teachers and support staff), but to train their own teachers on the pressures faced by parents, how parents see their role and how they can work together for the betterment of their children.

For it is by informing and equipping individual teachers to work with their class community, the parents and guardians of their pupils, that is most likely to bring success.

If we are going to move children across boundaries, shape aspirations and reach those families that don't see the point of education, we need to find ways of redefining education as something that sits in the home.

We don't want to encourage the pushy parents, fighting to get their child into a good school, but rather advocate for the quiet parent who doesn't ever feel it is their place to question a system that should be doing the right thing by his or her child.

So long as the terms, 'good school bad school' linger, so long as so many of our children are receiving little or no support from home, we need to do more - and working with the whole family seems the best way of doing so
Peter Tait is a writer, education adviser and former headmaster

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Schools must take an active role in educating disengaged parents

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Which is why the onus should also fall onto schools, not just to communicate more explicitly and informatively with their own parents, (which has its own implications about the role of teachers and support staff), but to train their own teachers on the pressures faced by parents, how parents see their role and how they can work together for the betterment of their children.

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Family ties: how to get parents involved in children's learning | Teacher Network | The Guardian

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Family ties: how to get parents involved in children's learning | Teacher Network | The Guardian

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Teachers are always looking for ways to improve education for their pupils - and one of the fundamental ways of doing this is parental engagement. Learning shouldn't finish when the child leaves school at the end of the day, and with parents on board it is much easier to help students reach their potential.

Of course, it won't always be easy to engage parents: they may be very busy, or have a first language other than English. So what advice is out there for building better partnerships?

Make homework collaborative

Try setting homework that involves parents' or a carers' participation. Teacher Rob Faurewalker got his year 7 geography class to ask their parents to take them out into the park to see the stars.

"Working in central London, many kids haven't seen the stars," he says. "But seeing them and gaining an appreciation of their place in the universe is a vital starting point to a geography curriculum that teaches them about the world from a global to local scale." At parents' evening, mums and dads said they enjoyed the chance to get involved.

Give them good news

A note from school shouldn't be a source of dread for parents, so make sure you regularly feedback good news as well any worries or concerns. "Positive communication is rare in schools as children get older, but as a parent it fills me with a lot of pride," says Thomas McCarthy, who has three daughters, and works as a learning mentor in a primary school in Lewisham.

Positivity can also help win over the trust of new families, adds Robert Kazandijan, a learning mentor at Oakthorpe Primary School. "Emphasis on positivity is the key to generating interest. Celebrating something brilliant that a child of a 'hard to reach' parent has done can be a wonderful tool."

Get parents through the door

Many schools now provide services such as food banks and language classes to students' families. This doesn't just help plug the gap in local services, but helps to build a sense of community within a school.

Nasser Mockbill, community liaison officer at Ark St Alban's academy in Birmingham, explains. "At St Alban's we have a food bank and we speak to our parents - confidentiality - to see if they need to access it." The school also runs weekly literacy lessons for parents, as well as sessions to educate them on issues such as healthy eating, safeguarding, e-safety, FGM, sexual exploitation and radicalisation.

Another way to get parents through the door is to set up a reading cafe, where parents and children choose from a menu of books and read them together, says Kazandijan. "Reading cafes are a nice example of this, where parents can join the class, listen to children read, read aloud to children themselves if they feel confident to do so, and enjoy a positive collective experience."

Use social platforms

Parents are busy and might not have time to attend workshops during the day, but social media can provide an efficient way to keep mums and dads in the loop. There are more ways than ever before for teachers to send updates home - from Classdojo, a service which keeps busy parents in the loop with their child's education, to Facebook.

In terms of what can be sent home to parents, it could be anything from photos and videos of projects being done in class, to announcements or one-on-one messages can be sent home to parents. "It breaks down those barriers to communication so parents and teachers are able to work together, which ultimately means a better learning experience for every child," says ClassDojo's Lindsay McKinley.

Try a home visit

A home visit is time-consuming, but it has real benefits, says Mockbill. He sees them as a way of informing parents about their child's education and building relationships: "It's not a bad idea for schools to visit the year 6 students and their families before they join their school".

Tackle language barriers

Parents who don't have English as their first language can find it hard to interact with teachers, and may end up feeling distanced from their child's school life. Some schools run literacy sessions to help build parents' confidence or use other parents and colleagues as interpreters. "This helps foster the sense of community and positive collective experience," says Faurewalker.

"It is important that schools employ from the local community so that these language skills are present, but this is not always possible - I once worked in a school with 57 home languages," he explains. "In this case, the children should be encouraged to translate for their parents and this helps the language skills of all involved."

If at first you don't succeed...

Sometimes parents aren't responsive - perhaps because they're busy juggling work commitments or because they've had negative experience with schools in the past. Don't be put off.

Jonathan Bailey, assistant head of Malvern College in Egypt, says it's important to persevere because getting parents involved means they will have more conversations about learning at home. This then "equates to an improved attitude - and hopefully a more determined and successful individual".
Follow us on Twitter via @GuardianTeach. Join the Guardian Teacher Network for lesson resources, comment and job opportunities, direct to your inbox.

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Family ties: how to get parents involved in children's learning

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Teachers are always looking for ways to improve education for their pupils - and one of the fundamental ways of doing this is parental engagement. Learning shouldn't finish when the child leaves school at the end of the day, and with parents on board it is much easier to help students reach their potential.

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - How to Bring Family Engagement and Early Learning into the Digital Age

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - How to Bring Family Engagement and Early Learning into the Digital Age

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Imagine these everyday scenes: A father and his two-year-old are in their library's bookmobile, checking out electronic and print picture books they just enjoyed at story time. Kindergartners select photos and drawings for their school's annual multimedia slideshow. A grandmother and teacher share a laptop, clicking on videos that demonstrate Spanish-language word games for school and home. Each day, parents, caregivers, and children are building language and literacy skills for the 21st century, perhaps without even realizing it.

Every community in the United States has the potential to transform itself into this kind of ecosystem that supports families and promotes digital inclusion. Resources for Digital-Age learning already exist in libraries, schools, multimedia spaces, and through parents' personal smartphones, but localities are not often tapping into them to help families in need. Other local leaders do seek out digital approaches but risk chasing after what is shiny and new if they lack the resources to critically evaluate new tools and technologies.

Promoting early learning through the support and empowerment of families-especially those who are under-resourced-has become an imperative for education leaders nationwide. New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop have joined forces to document initiatives using digital tools to connect with vulnerable families and improve educational outcomes. Interactive tools such as on-demand video and text messaging are being used to inspire and reassure parents, to share learning materials between formal and informal settings, and to bring parents closer to their children's learning. Some communities are also taking steps to prepare educators as media mentors to help families and children be choosy about media and learn how to use digital tools for learning.

But so far, these efforts are sporadic and fragile. Very few are fully sustainable or ready to scale up. Community leaders need a plan. Our hope is that this agenda will generate that planning. Think of it as a companion to existing guidance, such as the Building Blocks for Success framework from the Center for the Study of Social Policy and the National League of Cities, which is already helping communities to build early learning communities. Here we nudge leaders to modernize and think digital as they do so. We describe four actions to help community leaders prioritize: take stock, develop professional learning programs, invest in physical infrastructure, and create a cycle of continuous improvement.

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How to Bring Family Engagement and Early Learning into the Digital Age

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Imagine these everyday scenes: A father and his two-year-old are in their library's bookmobile, checking out electronic and print picture books they just enjoyed at story time. Kindergartners select photos and drawings for their school's annual multimedia slideshow. A grandmother and teacher share a laptop, clicking on videos that demonstrate Spanish-language word games for school and home.

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Diverse and Inclusive Growth (DIG) Checklist — KIDMAP

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Diverse and Inclusive Growth (DIG) Checklist — KIDMAP

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Click here to download a printable version of the DIG Checklist.

High-quality digital content for children supports learning and literacy, reflects diverse experiences, feeds curiosity, develops empathy, and provides accurate information in a creative way.

All Content

Who is the narrator? What is the point of view?

Can kids select or customize the point of view?

Is the content, including the setting and characters, free of stereotypical representations?

Does the content include atypical settings and/or underrepresented life experiences which both allow more kids to see themselves in the media?

Can kids explore an unfamiliar location, region, or situation?

Does the content introduce experiences in ways that entertain and teach about a topic in a creative way?

Does the media include links to additional content or opportunities within the media itself for curious families to learn more about a topic, setting, culture, or experience which is new to them?

Are characters diverse in their culture, ethnicity, language, gender, age, social classes, physical features, sexual orientation, and ability, reflecting today's diverse families?

Are diverse characters meaningfully integrated as individuals?

Stories and Tales

Is the story original or is the story a retelling of a traditional tale?

If the story is a retelling of a traditional, indigenous tale, is a member(s) of the team an authority on the subject?

Do the creators have permission to retell the story, if applicable?

Does the story diversify the media offerings for children? Or is it similar in its setting, plot, characters, activities, and information to what is already widely available?

Does the media offer historical, cultural, or social context for the story that is different from the traditional offerings?

Non-fiction/Informational Media

Is the content accurate?

Is a member(s) of the team an authority on the subject?

Are references included and easily accessible?

Does the content provide a different perspective on a topic or share information in a new way?

Is the content updated to reflect current research?

Does the content support critical thinking skills?

Is the content searchable?

Activity/Game

Does the activity's setting(s) include multiple living situations, playspaces, or other meeting places? Or does the media acknowledge in some way that the one setting is one of many alternatives in a creative way?

Is the activity unique to a particular audience? Are there appropriate instructions for those unfamiliar with the activity?

Does the activity encourage creativity, making, and self-expression?

Does the activity encourage multi-generational coviewing, coplay, and joint media engagement?

Does the activity inspire connection with family and/or community members?

Are there recommended resources, books for example, included with the media that extend the activity's learning experience?

High-quality images, illustrations, video, and animations help create a richer experience for the user.

Does the media include authentic visual representation of culturally and ethnically diverse characters, environments, and experiences?

Do the artwork and images provide historical, social, or cultural context for the story, information, or activity?

Do kids see themselves, their families, and/or their communities authentically depicted in the artwork and images?

Are characters with different body types and abilities featured in various roles?

Can kids customize characters' appearance?

Can they create their own avatar or choose from multiple characters?

Can they choose ethnicity, physical features, clothing, and accessories?

Can they choose gender or create a gender-neutral character?

High-quality digital media features music, narration, and sound that enrich the media experience.

Does the media include multiple language options which are written and spoken by native speakers?

Can children easily select and change languages while using the media?

Does the narration align with the text and illustrations?

Does the app feature a voice record option to support family participation in a variety of home languages?

Does the media include music or sound effects culturally appropriate for the content?

Does the music have any historical, social, cultural context?

Can the music and sound effects be turned on/off to modify the experience for individual children?

High-quality digital media provides age-appropriate experiences for the intended audience. Some media addresses the specific needs of a particular, underserved audience while other media aims to include a wider audience in a common experience.

Who is the intended audience?

Are diverse families authentically represented in the media?

Does the audience have opportunities to see themselves reflected in the content of the media?

Does the audience have the opportunity to learn about and experience another culture, region, language, or ability in the content of the media?

Does the media address the specific needs of a particular, underserved audience?

Does the media include a wider audience in a common experience?

Are the experiences age-appropriate for the intended audience?

Are diverse families used in advertising/marketing images and messaging?

Are the media's descriptions and ads available in multiple languages?

High-quality media aims to inform, entertain, teach, connect, and inspire all kids from all backgrounds.

What is the media's purpose?

Is authentic representation of diverse backgrounds, traditions, abilities, and rituals a part of the purpose?

Is accessibility addressed in the media's purpose?

Is the purpose, at least in part, to encourage multiple kids or multiple people to explore, learn, share, and create together?

High-quality digital media for kids includes technical features that support accessibility, successful learning, privacy, customization, and joint media engagement.

Is the media glitch-free?

Are in app-purchases, sharing features, and external links locked behind a "parental gate"?

Is the media free of advertising?

Is the media easy for kids and their grown ups with diverse abilities to use? Can they access all of the content?

Was Universal Design for Learning a part of the overall design process?

Does the media integrate age-appropriate cues for meaningful interactivity?

Is the functionality connected to any representation of backgrounds, traditions, rituals and if so, is that representation authentic?

Does the media allow the user to change settings or other elements, allowing the user to customize the experience?

Do the technical features encourage coviewing and shared play?

Can kids navigate to specific parts of the media, for example the home screen, favorite page or scene, specific part of a puzzle?

High-quality digital media for children includes tips, instructions, or a guide for grown-ups with suggested activities that make the media more accessible to more kids and potentially increase the educational value.

Does the media offer grown-up tips, instructions, extension activities, or a guide?

Are the tips, instructions, extension activities, or guide available in multiple languages?

Do the supporting materials provide tips for encouraging bilingual development?

Do the instructions and support materials feature a range of diverse characters?

Does the guide offer suggestions on how to use the media to teach kids about diversity of all kinds?

Do the instructions and support materials provide any historical, social, or cultural context for the content?

Does the media protect kids' privacy?

A diverse team of creators, designers and developers with an array life experiences may design and develop a broader assortment of content that feature a variety of perspectives, characters, and settings.

Who are the members of the creative team? Who is the author, illustrator, developer, educational or cultural consultant?

Is information about the creators easily accessible?

Is the artwork, story, music, and functionality created by a diverse team?

Is a member of the team trained in Universal Design for Learning standards?

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Diverse and Inclusive Growth (DIG) Checklist - KIDMAP

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Click here to download a printable version of the DIG Checklist. High-quality digital content for children supports learning and literacy, reflects diverse experiences, feeds curiosity, develops empathy, and provides accurate information in a creative way. Who is the narrator? What is the point of view? Can kids select or customize the point of view?

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Help children read, learn language skills, build background knowledge, and learn to use new communication tools

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Announcing a Tap, Click, Read Toolkit to Promote Early Literacy in a World of Screens - Tap, Click, Read

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Announcing a Tap, Click, Read Toolkit to Promote Early Literacy in a World of Screens - Tap, Click, Read

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Over the past several years, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop have become known for our book Tap, Click, Read and for our joint research and analysis on how digital technologies could be used to improve, instead of impede, early literacy. Now our two organizations are going a step further: This month we are releasing a toolkit of materials designed to help educators and other leaders put these insights into practice to help children learn to read. Fourteen research-based resources-including tipsheets, discussion guides, ratings lists, and a quiz-are now downloadable and free for further distribution at TapClickRead.org/Take-Action.

To reach large audiences of educators and community leaders, we have formed partnerships with FirstBook and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, two organizations that are dedicated to closing literacy divides and ensuring that children in low-income families and high-need schools have access to high-quality teaching and reading materials. We will also be actively promoting these materials in the coming months through Media Literacy Week (Oct 31-Nov 4) and at the annual meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Los Angeles in a featured session on November 3.

With the creation and release of these materials, we are trying to "walk the talk." We recognize that in today's high-paced world, adults as well as children are learning in multiple ways, and they need easy access to multimedia materials that spark conversation and new ideas. Since the book's release in October 2015, we have been providing information in as many formats as possible: through the stories and brilliant people we introduce in the chapters of our book, through presentations we have given around the country, through five videos that are freely available on our site, on YouTube, and on Vimeo; through social media conversations at #TapClickRead on Twitter and throughout Facebook; through one-and-two page downloadables (including ratings charts, quizzes, and expert advice); and through discussion guides that are designed to prompt critical thinking by educators and other leaders throughout communities.

Our book and the accompanying resources lay out a vision for building 21 st century ecosystems of learning that combine the best of media and reading. We playfully call this combination "Readialand." We believe that Readialand ecosystems can be created in communities around the country through new collaborations between educators, families, and community leaders who recognize that 21 st-century learning has to be human-powered first and tech-assisted second.

What Educators Can Do-A list of recommendations for updating teaching methods, working with libraries and public media, and more.

What Parents Can Do-A list of ideas for parents and caregivers, including the importance of listening to and talking with children about the media they use and why.

How to Use Media to Support Children's Home Language-Used well, media can spark opportunities for children to converse with their family members at home in their native languages. This helps them build a foundation for learning English too.

How to Promote Creation and Authorship-Children need to learn what it means to be a creator, not just a consumer, of media. New tools bring this concept to life.

How to Find Apps for Literacy Learning-Choose wisely. Use app-review sites and advice from literacy experts to find materials that match your students' needs.

The Three C's-Content, context, and the individual child. Become more mindful in using digital technology with young children by taking this quiz.

A Modern Action Plan for States and Communities-A guide for community and state leaders on how to make progress in solving America's reading crisis and strengthening family-centered approaches that will endure over time.

12 Actions to Take Now-A one-page list of "must-dos" for community leaders, district administrators, and policymakers to break out of the literacy crisis and bring opportunities to all children.

What Developers Can Do-Media and technology developers can become a key part of creating ecosystems of learning by partnering with educators and recognizing the needs of today's diverse families.

We have also produced five discussion guides to accompany short videos that could be used to spark dialogue in community workshops or professional learning community meetings:

Comienza en Casa: Helping immigrant families prepare their children for kindergarten.

Tutormate: Matching community volunteers with first-grade students for weekly reading sessions.

Parents And Children Together (PACT): Encouraging parents to read with their children using e-books and text messages.

Play and Learning Strategies (PALS): Helping parents see how to create language-rich moments with their children.

Univision and Too Small to Fail: Spreading messages about the importance of talking, singing, and reading with young children.

Funding from the Pritzker Children's Initiative made it possible for us to do the lion's share of writing and researching the book, producing the videos, and creating and distributing the toolkit comprised of these 9 downloadable resources and 5 discussion guides. The idea for this project was sparked by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. We are grateful to the Pritzker Children's Initiative and CGLR for their support. All royalties from sales of Tap, Click, Read are invested back into the education research programs at our two institutions, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and all materials on the TapClickRead.org website are openly licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.
Buy the book now on Amazon.com.

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Announcing a Tap, Click, Read Toolkit to Promote Early Literacy in a World of Screens - Tap, Click, Read

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Over the past several years, New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop have become known for our book Tap, Click, Read and for our joint research and analysis on how digital technologies could be used to improve, instead of impede, early literacy.

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Digital Storytime: Kids, Apps, and Libraries

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Digital Storytime: Kids, Apps, and Libraries

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Digital Storytime: Kids, Apps, and Libraries

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Family Time with Apps: A Guide to Using Apps with Your Kids

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Family Time with Apps: A Guide to Using Apps with Your Kids

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When we think of apps for kids, we often think of games for either entertainment or learning. But apps aren't limited to just games or books-apps can provide important social, emotional, and physical experiences too. Family Time with Apps - also available in Spanish as Apps en Familia- is designed to help parents better understand the variety of ways that apps can support children's healthy development and family learning, communication, and connection. The guide aims to show parents how to find the best apps that fit your child's needs, provide tips on how (and why!) to use apps together, and highlight even more resources that will make the process of selecting apps less overwhelming, and more fun.

Many librarians and community organizations have requested shorter-form versions of the guides to distribute to their families, so we have collaborated with our partners at Abriendo Puertas and Common Sense Latino to produce a printable PDF in both Spanish and English that organizations can download, print (double-sided), and fold in half for a handy brochure.
Download Family Time with Apps in the format that is best for you: Download our one-page resources:

Ball, S., & Bogatz, G. A. (1970). The first year of Sesame Street: An evaluation: A report to the Children's Television Workshop. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved from
Bogatz, G. A., & Ball, S. (1971). The second year of Sesame Street: A continuing evaluation. Volume 1. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED122800.pdf

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., ... others. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 2693-2698.

Reiser, R. A., Tessmer, M. A., & Phelps, P. C. (1984). Adult-child interaction in children's learning from "Sesame Street". Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 32(4), 217-223.

Reiser, R. A., Williamson, N., & Suzuki, K. (1988). Using "Sesame Street" to facilitate children's recognition of letters and numbers. Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 36(1), 15-21.

Salomon, G. (1977). Effects of encouraging Israeli mothers to co-observe "Sesame Street" with their five-year-olds. Child Development, 1146-1151.

Sektnan, M., McClelland, M. M., Acock, A., & Morrison, F. J. (2010). Relations between early family risk, children's behavioral regulation, and academic achievement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(4), 464-479. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED047823.pdf

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Family Time with Apps: A Guide to Using Apps with Your Kids

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When we think of apps for kids, we often think of games for either entertainment or learning. But apps aren't limited to just games or books-apps can provide important social, emotional, and physical experiences too.

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Digital Connections to Link Home and School

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Digital Connections to Link Home and School

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Parents - Kids Read Now | K-3 Summer Reading Program

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Parents - Kids Read Now | K-3 Summer Reading Program

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Kids Read Now | K-3 Summer Reading Program

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Parents - Kids Read Now | K-3 Summer Reading Program

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Kids Read Now kicks in when school lets out. Reverse the summer reading slide with a results-driven reading program requiring no additional resources from districts.

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Infographic: Parents on How Digital Games Affect Family Life

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Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Infographic: Parents on How Digital Games Affect Family Life

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Children today have access to more devices and platforms than ever before. And that means they have access to more entertainment software too. Over the past few years there have been a number of studies looking at video games and children, from how games affect the brain and motivation to learn. With the Digital Games and Family Life series, the Cooney Center has been digging into what parents of children ages 4-13 really think about their children's game play.

A majority of the parents we surveyed (83%) put limits on the amount of time their children can play digital games, and 79% are aware of the titles of games their kids play (see this infographic for some popular titles). We also wondered what kind of effects that parents felt that the games have on their children's attitudes and participation in family life. Half of our respondents (49%) said their children learn things that "may come in handy at school" or lead to interesting family discussions (42%). About one third of the respondents felt their children neglected homework or chores (35%) or were cranky (38%) because of their video game play.

We hope you enjoy this infographic. Check out the full series for more information about when and where children play digital games, popular game genres and titles, and more.

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Infographic: Parents on How Digital Games Affect Family Life

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Children today have access to more devices and platforms than ever before. And that means they have access to more entertainment software too. Over the past few years there have been a number of studies looking at video games and children, from how games affect the brain and motivation to learn.