Whether you follow your child’s schooling closely or prefer to let them get on with it, one question keeps coming back: does your involvement really change their results? Research says yes, but not in just any way. Here is what it shows, and the simple habits that matter most at home.
What does “parental involvement” mean?
Parental involvement covers every form of interest, attention and help you give your child in their school life. It goes well beyond attending parent-teacher meetings.
The American sociologist Joyce Epstein, widely cited in research on the topic, describes six types of involvement:
- everyday parenting (sleep, boundaries, routines);
- communicating with the school;
- taking part in school life (activities, trips, events);
- supporting learning at home;
- taking part in decisions (parents’ association, school participation council);
- connecting with local resources (library, clubs, activities).
They do not all carry the same weight for academic success. That is what researchers have measured.
Parental involvement and academic success: what the research says
The link between parental involvement and academic success is one of the most studied topics in education research. Several meta-analyses, which pool the results of dozens of studies, reach fairly similar conclusions.
A positive link, at every age
In 2014, researcher Steve Wilder compared nine meta-analyses on the subject. The link between parental involvement and school results is positive whatever the way it is measured, and it holds from primary to secondary school.
Expectations and conversation matter more than homework help
The same work shows that the link is strongest when involvement takes the form of expectations: the importance you give to school and the confidence you show in your child’s abilities. It is weakest when only homework help is measured.
For young adolescents, a meta-analysis by Nancy Hill and Diana Tyson (2009), covering 50 studies, points the same way. What is most closely associated with success is what they call “academic socialization”:
- talking about why what you learn is useful;
- discussing plans and future studies together;
- discussing ways to learn and to get organized.
Direct help with homework, on the other hand, is not associated with better results in that study. The authors suggest several explanations: help that intrudes on the adolescent’s autonomy, too much pressure, or simply the fact that parents help more when their child is already struggling.
The takeaway, with nuance
These studies measure links, not always causes. An involved family often has other advantages, and a child who does well also makes involvement easier. Researchers take these effects into account but remain cautious. The message is still clear: how you get involved matters as much as how much time you spend on it.
How to get involved at home, day to day
The most useful habits are often the simplest. A regular conversation about school is worth more than an occasional check of their exercise books.
Talking about their day, with real questions
“Was it good?” gets a “yes” and nothing more. Open questions get the conversation going:
- What did you learn today that was new?
- What made you laugh, or annoyed you?
- Which word did your teacher use a lot?
- Did you do something you are proud of?
- How do you feel about tomorrow? Is anything worrying you?
Listen to the good news as much as to the disappointments. Remind your child that we learn a lot from our mistakes.
Praise the effort, not just the result
Tone matters. “You worked hard on that chapter, it shows” encourages more than “See, you can do it when you want!”. Specific encouragement about effort and method builds your child’s confidence in their abilities.
Reacting to a bad mark without punishing straight away
Automatic punishment often backfires. Try to understand first:
- is the subject not understood, or was the studying poorly organized?
- has something in particular upset your child?
- do they feel at ease in class?
If needed, ask for a meeting with the form teacher or the subject teacher, ideally with your child. If the unease is about school itself, our article my child doesn’t like school may help.
Supporting homework without doing it for them
In light of the research, your role lies around homework rather than in it: a quiet place, a regular time, help planning the week, and then your child works alone. Stay available for a question, and check together that the work is done.
Working next to them (your paperwork, your mail) also sets a working mood: example counts. Finally, remind them that once the work is done, there is still time to play and relax.
Creating a stimulating environment
Getting involved also means giving your child varied opportunities to learn outside school:
- reading together, then talking about what you read (a story, a newspaper article);
- playing board games or doing sport together;
- discussing the news and everyday events, with open questions;
- watching a film or programme together and talking about it, with clear limits on screens;
- visiting a museum or an exhibition, going to a concert or to the library;
- keeping family routines, such as eating dinner together.
Leave room for rest and hobbies too. Your child’s well-being is part of their success.
Getting involved in school life
In French-speaking Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels Federation), parents can also take part in school life collectively. Each school can have a parents’ association, and parents are represented on the school participation council, the school’s consultation body.
It is not required to help your child, but it is a good way to get to know the school, its projects and its teachers.
And when parental help is no longer enough?
Sometimes homework becomes a source of conflict, the subject goes beyond what you know, or you simply lack the time. Handing over the schoolwork side then lets you stay in your role as a parent: encouraging, listening, reassuring.
At My Sherpa, an educational advisor chooses a coach for your child who suits their level and needs, for regular homework help or work on study skills. Lessons take place at home anywhere in Belgium, or online.
In short
- Parental involvement is linked to academic success at every age.
- Your expectations, your interest and conversations about school matter more than direct homework help.
- Praise effort, and try to understand a bad mark before punishing.
- Set up the framework for homework and let your child work alone.
- Look after their well-being and offer a stimulating environment.
