I whole heartedly believe that creating a rich learning environment begins with parents and what they expect of their child at home. My experiences have led me to believe that pleasing children has taken preeminence over developing children.

In other words, parents seek to saturate their home environment with materials that please children's appetite versus satisfy the academic and social needs that children encounter on a daily basis.

Parents need to know what the school expects of their child. However, parents should also have personal expectations regarding what students need to know when they are away from the school environment.

I find this issue to be the foundation of the dilemma. “The importance of involving families in a child’s educational experience is widely recognized by educators” (Floyd & Vernon-Dotson, 2009, p.160).

Initially, I would encourage parents to become more involved in their child's daily educational experiences to gain a better understanding of how to develop a more relevant learning environment at home that supports academic achievement.

“Educators often lament that too many parents aren’t involved in their children’s schooling. Yet what we should really hope for is that parents be involved in th...

“The importance of involving families in a child’s educational experience is widely recognized by educators” (Floyd & Vernon-Dotson, 2009, p.160).

Initially, I would encourage parents to become more involved with their child's daily educational experiences to gain a better understanding of how to develop a more relevant learning environment that supports academic achievement at home.

“Educators often lament that too many parents aren’t involved in their children’s schooling. Yet what we should really hope for is that parents be involved in their children’s learning” (Chasek & Rosen, 2011, p. 57).

The home learning environment should complement, or supplement, the learning environment at school.

It should be understood that other environments that children engage in after school (daycare centers, after-school program providers) should align themselves as well.

Often times, children are transferred to these environments after school because parents or family members cannot be with them because of work or other relevant activities.

In this instance, the “middle man” has to become mo...

Family and parental involvement in our school was one of the growing edges that were indicated on the state report card for the school. As a result, an increased effort has been produced to remedy this deficiency.

Our school has a weekly dinner night for the families of the students, in conjunction with the local church.

Also, being designated as a community school within our school district, our community outreach department plans various monthly activities to promote family involvement in the school.

The math and science family fun night has been successful in increasing family and parental involvement. Teachers volunteer their resources and time to engage students, parents, and other members of their families regarding the multiple aspects of math and science proficiency items through games and other fun activities.

In light of the efforts made by teachers, the question arises in my mind, “What will it take for the school district to help teachers produce more family and parental involvement in the school?”

For each holiday, a family-friendly activity is held to increase family and parental participation in the school culture. One family involvement activity that excites me is the an...