7 Reasons Why Parent Engagement Is Important In Online Student Learning

Parent engagement has a huge impact on a student’s learning. It doesn’t even matter if they’re learning in person or online. When parents show effort in engaging in their child’s learning, the rewards will fall on them both. 

Parent Engagement: 7 Reasons Why It’s Important In Online Student Learning

When a child’s learning transitions to a digital environment, parents may have mixed emotions about engaging in their learning. 

That hesitance is understandable. It is true that not all parents are tech-savvy. Some also assume that because their children are “digital natives,” their guidance becomes unnecessary. Other parents may also rely on the teachers to guide their children in this adjustment.

However, those facts shouldn’t hinder a parent from becoming involved in their child’s online learning.

Here are the reasons why parent engagement is still important even if their children are learning on the web. 

Parent engagement is a major factor in students’ performance.

Like athletes in an important championship game, kids’ motivation can receive a boost if they see and hear their cheerleaders—that’s you! 

It was mentioned in this study that kids who are assisted by their parents in homework tend to perform better in academics. 

The effect is similar when the parents communicate with their child’s school faculty using education apps and programs. Another study found that parents who received regular updates about their children’s attendance increased the latter by 18%. 

This research, meanwhile, found that students’ Perceived Cognitive Competence increase when they know their parents are involved in their studies. 

That means they become more confident that they are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in school. Parent engagement, apparently, even improves student-teacher relationships. 

Based on those studies’ findings, parent engagement is indeed a major factor in their children’s performance in school. Kids are more motivated to do well when they know their parents are keeping track of their life. 

Through parent engagement, you can teach them about leadership. 

If you have young kids that are old enough to analyze your behavior, involving yourself in their online learning is a good way to teach them about leadership. 

Leadership, after all, is all about taking responsibility. It’s about taking the initiative. When you act first, you’re implying that you’re taking responsibility for what’s happening—or what’s about to happen. 

Moreover, leadership is about taking action even if you feel inadequate. Say, you’re not that tech-savvy, but you took the effort to tinker with this new virtual classroom software they have to use. They might feel embarrassed at first that you’re not techy, but this can be a great teaching moment. 

You can set your actions as examples of leadership. Most of the time, real leaders don’t think much if they’re perfect. They just take action because it’s the right thing to do. And it’s the first step to progress. 

Parent engagement can boost academic readiness.

In early childhood education, parent engagement remains one of the pillars of academic readiness. This study published by Early Childhood Research Quarterly proved that engaging parents of kindergarten pupils boosted their readiness for school. 

How about high school students? Well, this research mentioned that students are more likely to enroll in colleges right away after high school when their parents discuss education with them. 

These parents also made an effort to contact their children’s desired colleges. As a result, the latter were equipped with the resources from the college. 

As you can see, students will feel more eager to move on to the next level in their education with parent engagement. This, in turn, will increase their academic readiness. 

Parent engagement is especially important if your kid is new to online learning. It will make them feel more comfortable in pursuing activities, which will prepare them for the next stage in their education. 

Must read: Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling High School Students

You will teach them about the importance of feedback. 

We live in the information age, which means data and information are abundant. Somewhere in those stacks of information, feedback from both experts and unqualified people can get mixed up. 

Being young, children might confuse what’s essential in their growth and what isn’t. Some critiques help them improve, while some are harmful. Sadly, the existence of the latter—and their exposure to it—might make them defensive to all kinds of feedback. 

This is dangerous, as feedback is crucial to a child’s development. 

How can you help them become more receptive to essential feedback? You could be more involved. Ask for feedback from their teachers via email or text. Whether the feedback is good or bad, assure them that receiving it is fundamental for their learning. 

This will make them realize that feedback is not supposed to punish them. It’s supposed to build them. 

Must read: How To Be More Supportive Of Your Kids With Online Learning

You can help change their perception of school. 

Hey, you were young once. You also hated school—unless you loved every minute of it. 

For most children, they don’t really have any choice but to attend online classes since they are still under your supervision. This lack of control over their life might make them feel demotivated. 

They might start hating attending their online classes as a way of regaining their control. As a result, their performance might suffer for it.  

What can you do? As we’ve mentioned above, your engagement is also a good teaching moment. To change their perception of online classes, you can become a role model and become more engaged. 

Set a schedule for catching up with their teacher. It can be just a 10-minute call to know how your kid is holding up. Work with their teachers on how you can make their online learning experience at least enjoyable. 

Your effort will already mean a lot. 

Must read: 9 Top Free Preschool Apps For 2020

You will have more realistic expectations. 

As parents, you want your children to learn and love learning. However, children are their own persons—sometimes, it takes more than encouragement to keep them going. Thus, it’s important for you to assume setbacks in your child’s online learning journey. 

Well, especially in our condition, it’s even healthier and saner to lower your expectations. We’re pretty sure almost everyone is working their best to teach the kids. However, some expectations will definitely not be met. Particularly, learning online won’t be a replica of learning in the classroom. 

So, it’s important for you to take your expectations down a notch. What’s an easy way to have more realistic expectations of your child’s online learning journey? Communicate with their teachers. 

Ask important questions, first. Don’t demand all the time. Instead, be curious about the whole process. By doing this, your concerns will be cleared and your experience will be more realistic. The best outcome of this is your child won’t deal with unnecessary pressure. 

Must read: Fantastic Ways To Cultivate Creativity In Homeschooled Children In A Pandemic

Parent engagement in online learning makes a real impact.

Finally, parent engagement is a good catalyst for improving a child’s learning. Let’s face it—PTA meetings don’t make real impacts on students. They can be essential, alright—but real engagement should reap results. 

After all, what’s the use of participating in meetings when you’re not striving to reach goals, right? That is why the right kind of parent engagement is crucial. Fortunately, this won’t be too hard with online learning.

How?

Virtual classes can be easily recorded. For instance, on Zoom, you have the option to record the whole session. Through this feature, you can observe what your kid learns in their class. After that, you can think of ways on how you can incorporate that in your studying session. 

Maybe you can mention a keen observation that will help them ace that exam. Or,  you could just easily drop an email to your kid’s teacher. Ask them what you can do to help your kid flourish in their online classes. 

See? You are making a direct impact on your child’s learning by just becoming more involved. You’re not even spending cash just to make that possible. 

Conclusion

It can’t be denied that parents and teachers all work hard in our current climate. The word “busy” is an understatement. However, busyness shouldn’t be an excuse for being negligent. With the abundance of education apps and programs today, parent engagement should flourish bit by bit. 

Parent engagement is just one of the tools, though. It can even be the symptom of a much more important practice—and that is when students, parents, and teachers must work hand in hand in navigating this new journey. 

Related questions

What are the disadvantages of online learning?

More responsibility falls on you, the parent—you have to ensure their online learning experience is optimal. You have to take care of the internet connection, the inevitably skyrocketing electricity bill, their studying space, their social life, and so on. Online learning, in a way, is high maintenance. 

Why is online learning better?

Simply, in our climate right now, it’s much safer for the students and teachers. It’s also more practical in terms of distance. They don’t need to commute or walk to their school. They could just learn in one area. Online learning is also very flexible for working single parents. 

Know more about parent engagement and online learning in All Digital School. 

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What do you think about our list of reasons why parent engagement is important? Let us know in the comments section!