Parents play an important role in the education of their children. Learning does not start and stop just because a child enters or leaves the classroom. The reality is that learning can happen in all areas of your child’s life – especially if you are willing to support the learning done in the classroom at home, encourage your child’s natural curiosity, and collaborate with the teacher whenever possible. Private education programs are designed to keep class sizes small, which means that students, teachers, and parents can collaborate on a much deeper level than is possible in the public classroom.

Support the learning done in the classroom at home

A high-quality private education program will help prepare students for success in life. Learning is facilitated by assisting students to become independent learners and showing them how to apply what they learn at school in real life. Parents can have a significant impact on this process by supporting the learning that is done in the classroom at home by providing their child with opportunities to put what they learned in class into action at home. For example, if your student is learning about fractions at school, you can support that learning at home by having your child help with cooking. Cooking is a daily task that often requires the use of fractions. Putting classroom learning into action at home will help cement the concepts your student is learning.

Encourage your child’s natural curiosity

Another important role of parents in private education programs is to encourage the natural curiosity of students. The friction that can come with learning a new concept typically dissolves when a child has a natural curiosity about the topic. The best private programs understand this fact about learning and provide students with opportunities to explore their natural curiosities. You can do the same at home by encouraging your child to explore interests for the joy of learning.

Collaborate with teacher whenever possible

Parents can also play an important role in private education programs through collaboration with teachers. As mentioned above, the small size of private school classrooms makes it possible for parents and teachers to collaborate on a much deeper level than public programs. The key to successful collaboration is communication. Let the teacher know that you are ready and willing to help when needed.

Getting involved with the learning that your child is doing at school benefits your child now and throughout life. Your involvement will help your child make the connection between classroom learning and real-life application. Each program is different in the ways that parents are encouraged to be involved when it comes to collaborating with teachers. As you look at options for private education, ask about the roles that parents play at the school and how you can get plugged in.