Abstract

Studies have found that family involvement is a key factor in improving a child's academic achievement, motivation, behavior, and attendance. This effective practice by Randi Douglas, LEARNS, shares ideas from a U.S. Department of Education report on how tutors and tutoring programs can use the established school calendar to plan regular interactions with family members.

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Issue

It can be difficult to create a relationship between families and tutors, but it is a challenge that once overcome, can be instrumental in fostering academic success.

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Action

All schools regularly schedule family events at their school such as PTA meetings, conferences, performances, fairs, picnics, and sports events. There are many ways that tutors might establish a link with families through coordinated planning with the school calendar to plan some regular interactions with family members.

Tutors may:

• Meet family members briefly during conferences
• Erect a booth at events for distribution of program information and books
• Conduct informal training around ways to read to children or how to create literacy rich environments
• Involve parents in a "bed-time" story night or a storybook performance

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Context

A report from the U.S. Department of Education (Family Involvement in Children's Education: Successful Local Approaches) describes some school-based family involvement efforts that may be supported by tutors and tutor programs. School practices related to family involvement that provide opportunities for tutor-family interaction have been implemented in the following states.

• Family Involvement Center (Ferguson Elementary, North Philadelphia)
• Family math night, monthly school and classroom newsletters, parent volunteers, and home visits (Hueco Elementary School, El Paso, Texas)
• Community Day, family potlucks, volunteer training for parents (Maine School Administration District #3, Thorndike, Maine)

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Citation

Family Involvement in Children's Education: Successful Local Approaches. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 1997.

(Research on family involvement in tutoring from Liontos:1992. ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, Eugene, OR, p. 14.)

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Outcome

Family involvement has a positive impact on a child's academic achievement, motivation, behavior and attendance.

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Evidence

Family involvement programs in schools have reported (to the U.S. Department of Education) an increase in the number of parent volunteers, an increase in the enrollment of training opportunities for families, improvement in the quality and duration of parent-school interaction, and a decrease in discipline and attendance problems among students.

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Source Documents

Related Practices

• Synchronizing tutoring with the teacher

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