Every parent wants their children to learn, develop and become independent and productive people in society.

Education plays a vital role in this process and parents have a crucial part to play in influencing their children’s academic performance. They stand a better chance to impact and improve the academic performance of their children when they intentionally engage in their children’s educational activities.

Parental engagement refers to parents’ active and meaningful participation in children’s education. It is characterized by a discussion between parents and educators on how they can improve children’s learning and provide a supportive home learning environment.

Students with involved parents are more likely to have higher grades, complete homework, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behaviour, develop high self-esteem and adapt well to school.

Moreover, vacations give parents ample opportunity to involve in their children’s education and thereby, understand the quality of education their child is getting. This breaks the barrier of time constraints as one of the major hindrances to parents’ involvement in their children’s education.

Parents can influence their children’s academic performance in the following ways:

1: Encourage reading: Parents should help their children to develop a love for reading and teach them how adequate knowledge can help them succeed in school and in life.

2: Keep a positive attitude towards education:  Shouting at a child who complains of not liking school activities might not be the right approach but parents can do better by painting a positive image of the school to young children.

3: Help manage the homework process: Set aside a special place to study and establish a regular time for homework. Help your child stay organized, ask about daily assignments, and monitor their work. Always remember to notice and praise effort.

4: Encourage active learning. Young people need to be encouraged to ask and answer questions, solve problems, and explore their interests. Have frequent conversations about what they are learning and be prepared to ask questions. When you encourage this type of learning at home, your child’s participation and interest in school may increase.

r child’s participation and interest in school may increase.

5: Communicate with your child’s teacher: For each teacher, find out the best way to stay up-to-date on progress and communicate if a problem arises. This way, you can track your child’s success and find out better ways to assist.

On the other hand, parents should try their possible best to make sure that they don’t end up being over-zealous in other not to have a negative impact on the child’s development.

Parents should also try not to compare their children to their peers because children have different levels of assimilation.

Therefore, the onus lies on parents to step up their games and raise the smart children they have always desired to have.