COLUMBUS Experts: Family involvement is crucial during middle school

Structure is needed for pupils in the middle years, one group says.
COLUMBUS -- Education doesn't just happen in the classroom; the home is also an important learning environment.
The importance of family involvement was a key message recently delivered by former Secretary of Education Richard Riley.
"Thirty years of research shows that when family and community members are directly involved in education, children achieve better grades and higher test scores, have much higher reading comprehension, graduate at higher rates, are more likely to enroll in higher education, and are better behaved," he said.
Family involvement is especially important in middle-level schools, grades five through eight, said Sue Swaim, executive director, of the National Middle School Association.
"It's at this time when young adolescents are establishing habits that will follow them through their lives. Family support and a degree of structure in the home will provide a foundation for success for middle school students."
Family involvement: Swaim recommends five actions that families can take to support pupils:
UEstablish a daily family routine. This includes providing time, space and materials needed for studying. Young adolescents should be assigned regular household tasks to help develop responsibility.
UModel the value of learning and hard work. Reading at home and engaging in other learning activities demonstrate to pupils that parents see education as an important part of everyone's life. Some families designate a specific time when everyone reads. Parents can also encourage open discussions with young adolescents on issues of the day or decisions regarding their lives.
UMonitor out-of-school activities. It's important for youngsters this age to have rules, but those rules should be discussed with the child so that he or she understands why they are in place. Parents should also guide the use of leisure time so that it is constructive. It's also important for parents to reward success and apply sanctions in a consistent manner.
UEncourage your child's overall development and progress in school. When parents express an interest in their child's school work, it shows that parents value what pupils are achieving in their education. But this means more than simply asking, "What did you do in school today?" Encourage your child to explain projects and other work. Attend appropriate school events, and stay in touch with your child's teachers.
UEncourage reading, writing and discussing among all family members. Education should not be seen as an activity in which only the child is involved. Families should discuss current events, evaluate television programming they watch together, and plan local family trips together that have educational value.
"At this age, young adolescents frequently try to push away from their parents, but there is no substitute for family involvement in education," Swaim said.
"The time parents spend with their children today will increase their success in school and life."
XFor additional information, visit the National Middle School Association's Web site at www.nmsa.org.