Math Won
On-line Glossary and Video Tutorials For Georgia Math I Course
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Parental Engagement vs. Parental Involvement
At first glance it may appear that the two phrases are synonymous. But, in fact, they are not. True, both require the participation of parents in their child's academic life. And, both are effective in helping teachers maintain classroom decorum. However, only one has been proven by research to actually increase students' academic achievement. Can you guess which one?
Yes! Parental Engagement! But, what is the difference you may ask? Well, there are several, but the primary one involves the location of the parent's participation. Parental involvement utilizes the talents of parents at school, such as:
- PTSA
- Booster Club
- Open House Attendance
Parental Engagement, on the other hand, requires their participation at home. Examples include:
- Daily inquiring about and checking homework
- Assisting student in setting challenging academic goals
- Investing time in tutoring student in needed subjects
- Limiting television watching during the week
- Yielding a completed task with student even in absence of homework
Yet, research also indicates that for many parents, lack of proficient content knowledge limits their ability to assist needy students. Here is where Math Won can help.
The on-line video tutorials are short, but highly effective. Persons of all ages, from childhood to adult, can learn new content at their own pace. As parents' content knowledge increases, so too will their confidence in their ability to tutor their student.
Studies show that when parents take an active role in the academic affairs of their child (stretching beyond extra-curricular involvement) overall achievement increases exponentially.
Best of all, through the generous contributions of Khan Academy, Bright Storm,Virtual Nerd, Mr. X Mentor of Mathematics, and You Tube, the tutorial services are absolutely free! The only cost associated is your time - a valuable commodity indeed, but no less so than the academic successes of your student.
Take the survey on the next link to find out where you place on the parental participation continuum.
