NUACHTÁN IB NEWS | October 2021
The importance of parental involvement in their children’s IB education
By Claudia Molleda
According to Grimsley and Brand (2018), in a compilation of various testimonies, they realized that many parents choose IB education as it not only gives students a solid academic support, but also prepares them in other aspects of their life, among which stand out being able to stand in front of an audience and communicate, argue, reflect, solve problems of any kind, inquire about what catches their attention and give them an international vision about what they could do in their future. At Colegio Celta Internacional, we offer the Primary School Programme (PYP) in which young people begin their life through learning to inquire and develop various skills that they will occupy in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in which critical thinking is developed in each subject, and that also, allows to connect the knowledge in an interdisciplinary way, this fact will be occupied in the Career-related Programme (CP) in which they will apply all their knowledge to learn particular areas that will be useful in university and professional life.
But, what is the importance of parental involvement in the academic trajectory of their children? The IB, in its Blog (2019), describes: “We know that parents are a fundamental element of the student’s learning experience. We need children to see their parents as a part of their learning process, not as passive subjects, but rather as active and participatory members of the learning community. When parents are present and know the central idea and lines of inquiry of the unit, students enjoy a more authentic learning experience and the whole community benefits from it” says Maria English, director of admissions and communication at Shue Ren International School. “Through our experiential learning, parents now share experiences with their children. Seeing that their parents dedicate time to their learning process creates a lasting impression on the children.” Undoubtedly, the participation of families in education is fundamental, teamwork reinforces the importance of education and promotes values that will govern the life of each student in the near and not so near future.
How can we participate in the student life of our children without them feeling pressured? Ask them specific questions about what they did in the day, for example, What fun thing happened in your classroom today? What new things did you learn in math? Who do you like to team up with the most and why? What was the most enjoyable thing about your chess class? You can also ask a little about what your son or daughter is reviewing and ask clearly why, for example, Could you already do the lungs experiment in sciences? It is important that your children see that you are involved. To learn more about how the programs work, we invite you to contact the corresponding coordinator or attend the IB Schools for Parents, where you will surely learn things that will allow you to know what your child does every day at school.
References
Grimsley, O., Brandt, S. Padres, ¿Por qué elegir un colegio del mundo IB? Blog IB. Disponible en: Padres: ¿Por qué elegir un Colegio del Mundo del IB? | Blog de la comunidad del IB (ibo.org) IB (2019). ¿Cómo hacer participar a los padres en la vida escolar? Blog IB. Disponible en: Cómo hacer participar a los padres en la vida escolar | Blog de la comunidad del IB (ibo.org)
