Teach English in RenwAn Zhen - Yongzhou Shi

“Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word movement and action has an effect…” this opinion expressed by Bob Keeshan is supported by many persons all over the world. Is this true? What are some of the roles they model? How do these roles impacts their child’s education? Henceforth let us take a look at some of the roles of parents in the education of their children, then briefly look at some of the impact observed in students’ attitude in an English class? Parents play many roles in education and that role begins on the day of the child’s birth (Although there are many studies out there which argues that it begins in utero). Studies have shown that children who were cuddled and given the right amount of attention from birth has a lower risk for behavioral, emotional, and social problems as they grow up (Harmon, 2010). In another study conducted in a Romanian orphanage over a period of 14 years, researchers found that the children, who were neglected, failed to thrive in many areas (Nelson et al 2014). They also found that children showed much improvement if they were placed in a more caring environment the younger they are. Thus the act touching, hugging and cuddling and immediately attending to the child’s needs, impacts brain development and in turn how much children learn or absorb information. As the child gets older, parents should be their first teachers. As an educator for many years, I have seen my students, whose parents introduced them to numeracy, literacy and other subject areas before starting school, excelled in almost every area in the class. Parents can further play a role in their child’s education by getting involved in the school community. In my opinion, when parents take time out from their busy schedules to occasionally meet with teachers or get involved with school activities, their child become more visible to the teacher and the school community at large. It creates a network that can help both the child and the parent. Being visible to the teacher may impact the quality of attention the student gets. Schools tend to get more protective of the students whose parents provide a lot of support. It shows not just the teacher but also the child that he is important and can intern give the child an added boost to his self-confidence. I have also seen parents with lighter schedules formed useful relationship with busy parents. Sometimes even helping with babysitting and transportation. The parent’s role in the child’s education can also impact the child’s behavior. An obedient child is more likely to absorb more information in a classroom. Exposing the child to acceptable standards of behavior and consequences of action can affect how they respond to figures in authority. I have been fortunate to work at a Japanese school in a class with behavioral issues and being at the forefront to observe students’ reactions to having their parents join them during class time. It was quite obvious which student was exposed to certain standards of behavior and expectations as they immediately behaved and even today are still behaving yet the other students who were still disruptive while in their parents’ presence, have gotten even worst. This is by no means laying all the blame on the parents as there is another important role in the class that is also weak. Another effect of the parents’ role in education is that they can affect the value students place on their education, how much they achieve and their aspirations. A student who has a parent encouraging him can go much further. The student may do well in classwork and envisage going on to university based on the standards and expectations set by parents. Even In my Japanese schools I could observe this. I have been placed in 2 different school communities and could compare and see how each community values English education. One school community was in an area with lots of professionals and people who travels often while other was not. The students, who were surrounded by professionals and people who travelled, excelled more in English than the other. They were also more willing to start English conversations with me. In my lower level English, school I had an eight year old special need student, who would speak almost fluent English with me. Initially, I thought his parents were not Japanese only to discover English is his passion so his parents enrolled him in a cram school for English. In that case, I can see regardless of the learning ability a parent can positively affect the child’s education by playing a supportive role. There are numerous other ways in which the parents’ role is vital in education. As educators, we should all keep in mind that a child’s educational success is dependent on a network of people playing their roles well. In this network the role of the parent in education is vital. References Harmon, K. (2010, May 6). How Important is Pysical Contact With Your Infant. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/infant-touch/ Nelson, C. A., Fox, N. A., and Zeanah, C. H. (2014). Romania's abandoned children: Deprivation, brain development, and the struggle for recovery. Cambridge, MA, and London, England: Harvard University Press.