Since 1993, May 15th has been recognized as the UN's The International Day of Families. "This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families."
The day serves as an opportunity to see families unite to collaborate on issues that affect us all. Perhaps now, amongst the Covid-19 pandemic, more than ever have we seen families come together, re-connect, and work as a team. There's been more dinners served with everyone around the table, a re-surge of family game night, and far more genuine interest when asking the question "How was your day?".
A great way for a family to unite is to bond over education. Something we have always strongly believed in at CFIS is a family's involvement in a child's education. Learning isn't simply relegated to the four classroom walls. Teachers are, of course, the hub of lesson plans, information, and understanding but equally as important is an authentic investment of interest by the home family unit in a child's educational journey.
There's no perfect recipe that will ensure a straight-A student, valedictorian, or an Ivy Leauge Magna Cum Laude graduate, but there are most certainly supports a family can give their child by being involved in their education.
Start with a good foundation
As robust as education within the school is there are certain elements of a child's development that are nurtured by people in their lives that occupy other roles. For each child, this will look very different. For some a father's words of encouragement provide a sense of quiet confidence, for others, it could be a mother's gentle hug that reassures it's always okay to try again when mistakes are made. It could even be a grandparent passing on a tradition that may root a sense of self in a child; all of these instances and many others help to build a foundation of confidence that is integral to development.
Get Involved
Involvement is a broad word. Does it mean volunteering for every field trip? Perhaps, if you are able to and want to. Does it mean checking homework every night? Depending on your child, maybe. Does it mean actively taking an interest in what your child is learning? This one is a big Y-E-S. Maybe that is you volunteering, maybe it's finding a way to ask the question "How was school today?" and get more than just "fine" as an answer, maybe it is reading together before bed, or colouring, or going over homework. It's about showing your child that their education is important to you and because of that you've chosen to learn with them.
Communicate
It's important to remember that the teacher, the student, AND the parent are all on the same team, with the same goal. In any other team setting, if there was confusion or a game plan that could use some tweaking, you would talk to your team about the best strategy to move forward. The same goes for education. Don't be afraid to talk to your child's teacher, ask questions, give praise, and cultivate a relationship that is built on mutual respect.
When everyone is on the same page advocating for a child's success in education, it doesn't get much better than that.
