• Get your children ready to learn. Let them know that school is interesting and important, and that parents are valued partners.
   
• Talk with your child's teachers. Establish a personal relationship. They need your help and have as much to learn from you as you do from them! A quick phone call or a meeting at school or at your home can tune both of you in to ways to help your child do well in school.
   
• Attend events at your child's school. Back-to-school nights and teacher conferences, sports events and school plays -- all give you a chance to get to know your child's teacher. Plus, your child will swell with pride when you make school visits.
   
• Be prepared. Find out about your child's teachers, classes and the school rules. Know what type of homework is assigned, how often and how long it should take to complete.
   
• Talk often with your child about what is happening at school. Ask specific questions about school work, teachers and activities.
   
• Create a good learning environment at home. Support learning through everyday activities with your child. Read with your child. Check homework. Limit television and video games.
   
• Observe and listen. Compare your child's progress with others by looking at work displayed in school. Peek in the classroom -- see if the children are happy and alert. Read school bulletin boards and talk with your children's friends to get a bigger picture of what is going on at school.
   
• Ask teachers for advice. They know about child development and they spend a lot of time with your child.
   
• Provide teachers with information. Changing family circumstances like divorce, illness or the death of pet can upset a child's learning.
   
• Ask your employer to support education. Family-friendly policies such as flextime, extended lunch hours, and compressed work weeks give employees a few hours during the school day to get involved in school activities. The hours away from work can be made up by staying at work late or coming in early.
   
• Volunteer. Ask community members to volunteer too. The involvement of adults improves schools. Every school activity should be done enthusiastically.
   
• Get involved in parent-teacher organizations and school reform. Learn how your school board works. Help teachers and administrators set rules. Ask a teacher, principal or another parent for advice on how you can participate.
  

What Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Succeed

• This link describes actions parents can take to improve their child's academic performance.

National Coalition for Parental Involvement in Education

• Organization devoted to improving parent involvement in education. Their site offers articles, resources, and many other items that are useful for improving communication between parents and teachers.