What are the Responsibilities of the Parents in ESL Education?

I will be answering the question, What should a parent's role be in their child's education? It has been proven that a parent's role has a profound effect on their child's academic success.

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jon M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.

Parents’ Involvement

The earlier a parent gets involved in their children's education, the better the outcome. Parents often rely too much on the teacher to instill knowledge in their child, forgetting that education happens outside the classroom too and parents should be playing a big role. Being a role model is a good way to start. If a child sees that their parents like to read, go to the museum, take nature walks, they most likely will also. Reading to one's child is a good way to get the young learner interested in reading while also expanding their vocabulary. Going over their homework assignment, to explain mistakes they might have made and to discuss solutions is very important. My kids used to say, "we'll go over it in school tomorrow anyway".

Also Read: 7 Great and Easy Ways to Introduce New Vocabulary

But a one on one explanation helps significantly.

If there's a test coming up in school, the parent and student could work together making up questions that might be on the exam. This will help put the child's.

Mind at ease and more relaxed for the exam.

Going to parent-teacher conferences is very important, not just to see how the student is doing but to show the child that the parent is taking an interest in their education.

While in the car, making up games and activities can make travel an enjoyable and educational experience. Parents should also make sure that their child is getting plenty of sleep, eating properly, and getting to school on time. Asking the student how their day went, what was fun and interesting, and who did they play with at recess shows that the parent is actively involved and interested in what the child does at school every day. Giving small rewards for a job well done can be a motivator for the student as long as the parent doesn't go overboard and reward too much. Parents can share the experiences they had in school with the childlike problems they might have faced. Children like to see that they're not alone when having to face adversity. Showing their child how to utilize their time better is a crucial step in developing good study habits.

Also Read: "The Importance of Games in the Classroom"

Parents can also unfortunately negatively influence their child.

Examples are negatively talking about the teacher in front of the student, letting the child skip school for unimportant reasons, ignoring complaints about the school from the student, or taking every complaint at face value without consulting the teacher to get the facts, and punishing the child for getting a bad grade on a test rather than encouraging him to do better.

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I know as a parent myself, instilling the importance of education must be done at a very early age, even before any formal schooling begins. This is a good way to avoid bad habits and introduce good ones. My career has been a tennis teaching professional. I know from experience it's much easier to teach children who have not gotten into bad habits.

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