By Jolinda Schreiber, No. 2 Pencil

Editor&8217;s note: This is the first of a two-part article.

This is an exciting and busy time of year for parents, grandparents, and others who play a significant role in the lives of our children.

The start of a new school year within the Albert Lea Area Schools is always full of anticipation, challenges and a time for a fresh start.

As we send our children off to school for the first time &8212; or for the 13th time &8212; we all need to be reminded of the importance of the education we give to these precious future leaders of tomorrow! As adults we also need to be reminded how important our role is in contributing to our children&8217;s academic success and to the success of our schools.

Create a home environment that encourages learning.

Research has shown that while economic, ethnic or the cultural background of the family do impact student success, parent involvement in a child&8217;s education is clearly the most important factor in determining their success in school.

In fact, evidence shows that children will have higher success in school when there is an active partnership between the home and the school.

– Parents and guardians, grandparents, older siblings and babysitters should read aloud daily to younger children. As a parent, model your own interest in learning by reading, or continue learning by taking a Community Education class or a work related class. Model and teach &8220;the love of learning&8221; as it is a key factor accounting for academic success of children.

– Support learning by talking daily about schoolwork and activities. Ask what subject was the best that day or which topic was the hardest. Monitor homework and class projects daily. Let your child know how important you think daily attendance is.

Work together to get children to school on time &8212; tardiness develops bad habits that may get harder to break.

– Develop a routine for studying and homework. Choose a specific time and place each day to complete homework. Surprisingly, &8220;providing a place to study&8221; was one of the top three characteristics significantly related to student achievement &8212; and that is something we as parents do have control of.

– Communicate with your child&8217;s teachers often (not just at conferences). Make calls or drop

a note. Stay informed of class and school activities. Read school newsletters and fliers sent home. Write important school dates on the family calendar. If you have Internet access, check out the school&8217;s Web site on a regular basis and register for &8220;Parent Portal.&8221;

Express high (but not unrealistic) expectations for your child&8217;s achievement and future careers.

– Encourage your child to try to do his/her best on tests, papers and projects. According to teachers if your child is struggling in a particular subject, avoid telling your child, &8220;I didn&8217;t do well in that subject either.&8221; Don&8217;t give them &8220;permission&8221; to fail. Challenge them by saying, &8220;This is a difficult problem, but if we roll up our sleeves I know we can solve it.&8221; (If a parent isn&8217;t able to help the child with an assignment, go to the teacher &8212; but don&8217;t give your child an excuse to do poorly.)

Setting high expectations greatly improves student achievement.

– Recognize and encourage special skills. Help your child realize what their natural gifts and talents are. Encourage them to take the career tests available and given throughout their school years and then talk about the results together. Save the tests &8212; so you can review them over the years! Discussing your child&8217;s plans for after high school graduation and selecting courses that will support these plans, will be a positive step for future success.

Parents often ask, &8220;Can I really make a difference in academic achievement?&8221; The answer is a resounding yes! Children will do significantly better in school when parents become an active partner in their child&8217;s education.

Involvement begins first at home!

Next week we will discuss how parent involvement in the school affects student achievement.

Jolinda Schreiber is a member of the Albert Lea school board.