20 Ways to Increase Parental Involvement

Want to Increase Parental Involvement?

Do you struggle to increase parental involvement in your classroom? Then this infographic I found on Twitter might just solve your problems. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

Recently, Alex Corbitt posted an infographic called “20 Ideas for Increasing Parental Involvement” on his Twitter account. The infographic was created by Comprehension Connection.

The graphic explains 20 different ways teachers can increase parental involvement. Most of these ways revolve around keeping parents updated through tech tools or person-to-person interaction and giving parents more opportunities to get involved through assignments, classroom activities, and special events. You can see a larger version of the infographic here.

Keeping parents involved in their student's lives benefits you, the student, the family, and society. Establishing trust and a good relationship with parents will make communication go smoother if an issue arises… and save you lots of headaches. The lessons you teach are more likely to get enforced at home, which helps the student's learning process. Parents are more aware of the assignments their children have, which can help them make sure students complete assignments and give parents access to you if they have a question about something. When students, teachers, and families work together, everything functions smoother, which produces more effective teaching and, therefore, citizens.

Looking for more ways to get parents involved in their children's education? Then check out this list of questions you can suggest parents ask their children about their education here.

What do you do to get parents involved? Do you struggle with parent involvement? How did you work through a difficult situation with a parent in the past?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.