Did you know that one of the number one complaints from our teachers and educators nowadays is parental involvement or better non-involvement? Many parents seem to think that the school should teach their children, manage them when they are there and that they as parents do not need to be involved or put any effort in the education of their children. So if you want to change this and get more involved in your children’s education, here are five easy ways to do so.One of the easiest ways to get involved in your child’s education is by being interested in his school day. Ask your child how school was or if anything interesting happened today and when your child answers, listen. Just asking will not help, you have to listen to what they say and respond to their needs. It is very important to ask everyday and to be consistent in asking and listening. When you ask your children about their school day and about their homework, it will signal to them that school is important to you and therefore should be important to them. Asking them about their school day and about their homework will also send a clear message that you expect them to learn and study.A second easy way to get involved in your child’s education is to check their homework. Not only check, but also assist with the homework and help your child to study for exams. When you check your child’s homework everyday, it will ensure that your child does the homework and also that your child knows that studying and doing the homework are an important part of their education. Some days your child might be in a crabby mood or just plain does not want to do the homework. Give the child some free time, but insist on the completion of the homework by the end of the night or the weekend or some other arbitrary deadline before the next class. Set that time period as a deadline for homework completion and infrequently remind the child of it.Almost as easy as the first two ways to get involved is the parent teacher contact. Keep up to date on your child’s progress in school; do not just wait for the teacher to send you information home. Frequently get in contact with your child’s teachers and find out about your child’s progress, behavior and anything that relates to school. There are many different ways you can talk to your child’s teacher, meet him after class at school, set up an appointment, set up a parent teacher conference, participate in conferences set by the school, call your teacher or even send the teacher a letter. Teachers like to hear from parents. The teacher knows that parental involvement is one essential key for student’s success in school. Teachers do not have the same influence on children as their parents do.Did you know that getting involved in your child’s education also means to vote in school board elections? Yes, voting for whom you think will do best for the school can improve the environment your child learns and studies in. This is actually a very easy way to be involved in your child’s education; you have to make a checkmark on the voting ballot and are already helping.Lastly, there are also setting guidelines, milestones and rules for your child. Be involved by not letting your child stay up late on school days, by limiting the time they watch TV and instead encouraging them to read a book, do their homework or study. While you set rules and guidelines for children to follow, make sure that you are a good example of what you preach. Don’t turn the TV on, after you have told your child not to watch TV, but to read a book. Get a book out yourself, or while he or she is doing homework, catch up on paperwork such as bills.

Are you the parent of a child with autism or dyslexia, that knows what educational services your child needs, but do not know how to communicate them to special education personnel? A parent input statement, that is written before the IEP meeting, can help you be an effective advocate for your child, and bring up needed educational services that will help your child learn.A parent input statement is a one page statement, where you can give written input into your child’s education. You can include: things that work for your child, things that don’t work, academic struggles that they have, behavioral difficulties, any educational or related services that you believe they need, extended school year (ESY), assistive technology (AT).Tips for writing input statement1. Keep it short, maximum one page.2. Use facts as much as possible.3. State what educational and related services you think your child needs, and why.4. Discuss academic progress or lack of academic progress, and what you think needs to be done about it.5. Include any adaptations, modifications, educational or related services that are helping your child learn.6. Discuss any behavioral difficulty your child has, and what the school has done about it. Also state if you feel that they are not handling the behavior/discipline according to IDEA.Parent Input Statement 9-6-29xx My son Tommy is 9 years old, is in fourth grade, and receives special education services under the category of Learning Disability. I have received the results of his Woodcock Reading Mastery test from his teacher, Mrs. Jones. Tommy’s Word Identif ication at a grade equivalent of 1.7, word attack (decoding)of 2.7, and a basic skills cluster with a grade equivalent of 1.9. This means that my son Tommy’s reading is at least 2 years below his grade appropriate peers. I am very concerned that if Johnny does not receive appropriate instruction in reading, his life will be negatively altered, forever.IDEA and No Child Left Behind state that curriculum must be “scientifically research based.” What this means is that their is research to show that the program works to teach children to read. The Orton-Gillingham Methodology of simultaneous multi sensory instruction has many years of research to back its effectiveness with teaching children to read. I have information on this methodology that I would like to share with the IEP team.Tommy, not only needs an Orton-Gillingham reading program, but the person who is teaching him must be trained in this area. My son also needs to receive the program for the recommended length of time, not less. Tommy is currently receiving 30 minutes a day of reading instruction while the Orton-Gillingham program recommends xx amount per day of instruction. Thank you for working with me to help my son Tommy learn to read.Miss SmithMention at the beginning of your meeting that you have a parent input statement to share with the IEP team.Bring up the parent input statement when you think it is an appropriate time.Bring enough copies for everyone at the meeting, and make sure that it is attached to your child’s IEP.A parent input statement will help you clearly state what educational or related services that your child needs. Remember that for your child to receive an appropriate education the instruction they receive must “give meaningful benefit” to your child.