U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ARENT
OWER
BUILD THE BRIDGE TO SUCCESS
 Parent Power
Build the Bridge to Success

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Communications and Outreach

2010
U.S. Department of Education
Arne Duncan
Secretary

Office of Communications and Outreach

Peter Cunningham
Assistant Secretary

June 2010

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is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Communications and Outreach, Parent Power: Build the Bridge
to Success, Washington, D.C., 2010.

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 Parent Power:
Build the Bridge to Success
To parents, we can’t tell our kids to do well in school
and then fail to support them when they get home.
You can’t just contract out parenting. For our kids
to excel, we have to accept our responsibility to
help them learn. That means putting away the Xbox
and putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It
means attending those parent-teacher conferences
and reading to our children and helping them with
their homework.

—President Barack Obama, July 17, 2009

President Obama has a cradle-to-career plan to reform

our nation’s schools. He also is calling on parents to take
responsibility for their child’s success. His vision includes
the belief that all children can and will succeed, and that
parents are the bridge to this success. You as the parent,
guardian or caregiver can help your child by connecting
with his or her school to find out what’s needed to ensure
success and how you can help reach that goal. Studies of
successful schools report that parent involvement is a major
factor in their outcomes, including closing the achievement
gap between various groups of students. With his vision, the
president is asking that you make education a priority and a
legacy for your family.

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How can you accomplish this? By adopting the following
principles and taking the steps indicated for each age group,
you will be able to help your child learn at each step of the
way and ensure success in school and in life.

Be responsible.
Accept your role as the parent and make education a priority
in your home.

Be committed.
Once you have begun to work with your child, continue
doing so throughout the year.

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Be positive.
Praise goes a long way with children, especially with those
who struggle in school. Provide positive feedback.

Be patient.
Show your child that you care through your commitment
and encouragement.

Be attentive.
Stop your child immediately when bad behavior appears.
Show him or her what to do and provide an opportunity
to do it correctly. Discipline should be appropriate and
consistent.

Be precise.
Provide clear and direct instructions.

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Be mindful of mistakes.
Record your child’s performance. Look over all the work your
child brings home from school and keep it in a folder. Help him or
her correct any errors.
Be results-oriented.
Gather information on how your child is performing in school.
Keep notes of conferences with teachers, request progress reports
and carefully read report cards and achievement test results. Ask
questions about these results.
Be diligent.
Work from the beginning to the end of the year with your child
and the teacher.
Be innovative.
Keep learning lively and dynamic.
BE THERE.
Just be there for your child–to answer questions, to listen, to give
advice, to encourage and to speak positively about his or her life.
Be there to support your child whenever needed.

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 PRESCHOOL
Ensure That Your Child Is Ready to Learn

Make sure your child’s:

a Physical needs are met
with a healthy diet,
enough sleep and You also can
rest, exercise and good be part of your child’s
medical care; educational experience
by teaching and reinforcing
a Social and emotional the skills your child needs and
needs are met; enhancing those taught in the
a Confidence, classroom. Using the following
checklists, you can help your
independence and
child be a successful student
cooperation skills are
from preschool through
built;
high school.
a Discipline is
appropriate and
consistent;
a Play is stimulating;
a Questions are answered;
a Caregiver or preschool teacher has books to read to your
child and does read to your child every day; and
a Day is filled with different learning activities.

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Know what your
preschooler needs.
Babies need:
a Loving parents or
caregivers who
respond to their cries
or noises;
a To feel safe and
comfortable;
a To hear and make
sounds;
a To move around;
a To be able to play in
safe areas; and
a To play with safe
toys.

Toddlers need:
a Activities that allow them to use their muscles;
a To experience their senses and develop language skills;
a To work with their hands;
a To learn to do things for themselves;
a To play with other children;
a To continue to learn about their movements;
a To build their vocabulary;
a To learn about their surroundings; and
a Opportunities to make choices within limits that you set.

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Introduce babies and toddlers (birth to 2 years)
to language.
a Talk to your baby or toddler often. Talk to your infant
during feeding; look at family photographs and tell your
child about the pictures; or tell the baby what you see out
the window—a bird, bus, cars.
a Show your baby things, name them and talk about them.
a Encourage babbling or your toddler’s trying to say
words.
a Sing songs and read nursery rhymes.
a Read aloud each day, even if it’s just for a short time.
a Have your child handle books—books made especially
for babies or toddlers, such as interactive books (lift-the-
flap or touch-and-feel). This will help your child with
motor skills and language development.
Introduce young children
(3-5 years) to language.
a Talk to your young
Every
child often and child is different.
encourage your child Know your child’s
to speak by asking unique talents, skills,
questions and talking abilities and special needs.
about what happened Children can enjoy learning
during the day. and possess a healthy curiosity.
a Show your child new Take advantage of learning
things, making sure opportunities. Use the
you name them, and checklist as a guide to
teach your child new lead your child to
words every day. success.

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a Read aloud each day, even if it is just for a short time.
a Teach your child the alphabet.
a Check your local public library for books made especially
for 3- to 5-year-olds.

4- and 5-year-olds need:

a More books, games and songs;
a Chances to
do science,
math and art
activities;
a To build their
self-reliance
and language
skills; and
a To become
aware of
the world
and people
around them.

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 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Lead Your Child on the Path to Success

Before the school year begins, find out about the school
your child will attend.
a Visit the school.
a Visit a
classroom in
the school.
a Get a copy of
the school’s
parent
involvement
plan.
a Volunteer,
for example,
to be a room
parent,
organize a
winter coat
drive, help
out on test
day or be
a reading
coach.
a Ask the
principal for
the school’s
report card.

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Communicate with teachers.
a Find out the best time to contact them by telephone.
a Ask for the teacher’s e-mail address.
a Find out about Web sites where teachers may list class
notes and homework assignments.
Parent-teacher conferences are important.
a Be prepared to listen, talk and take notes.
a Write out your questions before you meet with the
teacher.
a Ask for specific information about your child’s work and
progress.
a Review what the teacher has told you and follow up by
talking with your child.
a Check back with the teacher regularly to see how things
are going as the year progresses.
Know that counselors:
a Can help if there are problems at home, such as divorce
or illness, which could affect your child’s schoolwork;
a Have information about achievement tests and can
explain what the results mean; and
a Can tell you what tutoring services are available.

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Make sure your child continues to read.
a Set a special time each day for reading aloud together.
a Encourage your child to read to you when he or she is
ready.
a Let your child see you enjoying reading.
a Use audio books that you and your child can listen to
together and have your child follow along with the
written words in the printed book.
a Play communication games with your child, such
as Scrabble or Pictionary, which involve words and
explaining what they mean.
a Practice day-to-day reading and writing, such as
following a recipe or writing a note.
a Continue to check with the teacher and the pediatrician
about your child’s language development.

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12
 MIDDLE SCHOOL

Be There for Your Child in the Formative Years

Transitioning
a Help your child transition from elementary to middle
school.
a Discuss the concerns he or she may have before starting
middle school, such as learning from many teachers,
getting to class on time, finding his or her locker,
getting on the right bus, knowing where the cafeteria
is, navigating crowded hallways and doing more
homework.
a Talk to your child
about the physical
and social changes
The
and the social
middle school
pressures that often
years are a time of
occur in the middle
transition: emotional, physical,
school years.
social and academic. Your support
Parental involvement and involvement are essential at
a Communicate often this stage of your child’s growth.
Research shows that pre-teens
with your child,
do better in school when their
the teachers, and
parents are involved in
the principal, vice
their lives.
principal or both.
a Visit the school. Be
knowledgeable about the place where your child learns.

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You may want to ask the following questions of your
child’s teachers:
a Is there a transition program for students leaving
elementary school and entering middle or junior high
school?
a Are counselors available who can help your child
transition to middle school?
a Are teachers and principals accessible to parents?
a When are the parents’ nights, sports and art events,
and other times when parents are invited to visit the
school?
a When can parents volunteer at the school?

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a Help your child organize a schedule.
a Help your child set goals with a time limit for completing
particular tasks.
a Listen to what your child tells you and is really saying
between the lines. Be sensitive to any fears your child
might have. Sometimes it is helpful to reserve comments
and actions until you have facts about a situation and
know how your child thinks and feels about it.
a Discuss peer pressure.
a Communication is the key to being helpful to your child
in the pre-teen years.
a Welcome and get to know your child’s friends.
a Become aware of physical and emotional changes in your
child.
Reading in the middle school years
Reading is an important part of the middle school years.
Many of the subjects your child studies in middle school
involve much more reading than in elementary school.
Check with your child’s school counselor to see what your
child’s reading level is. If your child reads below grade
level, check with the school to see what additional reading
programs are available to help improve your child’s skills.

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Looking to the future
Help your child focus on preparing academically for high
school and college. Encourage your child to take challenging
classes. You may want to ask your child’s teachers these
questions:

a Will the classes your child takes help him or her be

competitive in college and the work world?
a Is your child having trouble in any classes?
a What tutoring programs are available?

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a Does your child have good study habits? Does he or
she read what is necessary to complete an assignment?
hand in assignments on time? prepare ahead of time for
assignments and tests instead of cramming at the last
minute?
a Does your child have the supplies needed to complete
assignments?

Preparing financially for college

The U.S. Department of Education has a resource to help
you determine the financial commitments you will need to
make for your child’s education beyond high school. The
FAFSA4Caster, at www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov, can help you
calculate college costs before your child applies to college.
And, when your child is ready to apply for financial aid, we
make it easier for you to learn how much financial support is
available to your family and how to apply for aid.

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18
 HIGH SCHOOL
Get Your Child Ready for Work and for Life

Serve as your child’s best coach and mentor.

a Foster your child’s independence, and continue to be
aware of and support your child’s studies and after-
school activities.
a Continue to stay involved with the school as your child
progresses through high school.
Know what your high school child needs to succeed.
a Look for programs designed to help students succeed
in college and in a career–those that teach study skills,
provide tutoring to enhance skills and knowledge and
help students choose the right courses to succeed.
a Provide structure. Show your child how to manage time
for studies, activities, friends and family.

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Keep on reading.
a Continue to make
High
sure your child is school is
reading. the training ground
a Buy or make for college and work. Help
available books prepare your child for college
in which your by encouraging him or her to take
child may have an challenging courses, such as English,
interest. Students math (in particular algebra I and II, but
who have more also geometry, trigonometry, and calculus),
reading materials foreign language, science (biology,
available to them chemistry and physics, for example) and
read more and do history or social studies. To help prepare
better in school. your child for work, you and your child
should meet with the school guidance
Partner with teachers counselor to choose the best courses
and counselors. based on your child’s career
a Get to know your interests.
child’s teachers and
counselors.
a Continue to attend open houses or parent nights at
school to meet your child’s teachers.
a Request parent-teacher conferences when you think they
are needed.
Communicate with teachers.
a Find out the best time to contact them by telephone.
a Ask for teachers’ e-mail addresses so you may contact
them outside of school hours, as teachers are usually not
available during school hours.
a Find out about Web sites where teachers may list class
notes and homework assignments.

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Know that counselors:
a Handle class registration and schedules;
a Can help if there are problems at home, such as divorce
or illness, which could affect your child’s school work;
a Have checklists of how to apply to college and where to
get college financial aid; and
a Can tell you when college entrance exams are given,
especially the SAT and the American College Test (ACT).

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Consider safety.
a Pay attention to your child’s behavior and friends.
a Tell your child to leave valuables at home and to keep
belongings locked up, as theft is the most common school
crime.
a Be aware if your child’s grades drop or if your child is
sad or angry.
a Talk to your child about any concerns you may have.
a Consult with counselors, social workers, school
psychologists or others trained in and helpful with
solving adolescents’ problems.

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Stay involved with the school.
Be informed through your school’s parent-teacher
organization and the school newsletter or Web site.
Continue to be an advocate for your child and other students
in the process.

Tips on paying for college

Loans, grants and work-study aid are available for low-
income students through the Federal Student Aid program.
The maximum Pell Grant award for the 2010–11 award year
is $5,550.

When your child turns 18

Be aware that when your child turns 18 years old or enters a
college or university at any age, the rights under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) transfer from you to
your child. You may become informed about this law at http://
www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

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Resources

The following resources for parents are available from the

U.S. government and other organizations.

General Education Information

U.S. Department of Education
www.ed.gov
1-800-USA-LEARN (toll free)

Resources for Parents

Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs)
http://www.taalliance.org

Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRC)

http://www.nationalpirc.org

Help With Homework or School Projects

Free Resources for Educational Excellence
http://www.free.ed.gov

Schools
Public and private schools, colleges and libraries
http://www.nces.ed.gov/globallocator

Reading
National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)
http://www.nifl.gov/

Preschool
Ready to Learn TV
www.pbs.org/readytolearn

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High School
Federal student No government policy will make
financial aid any difference unless we also hold
www.fafsa.ed.gov ourselves more accountable as
parents—because government,
Postsecondary no matter how wise or efficient,
Education cannot turn off the TV or put away
www.college.gov the video games. Teachers, no
matter how dedicated or effective,
Local Resources cannot make sure your child leaves
for After-school, for school on time and does their
Tutoring and homework when they get back
Mentoring at night. These are things only a
Programs parent can do. These are things that
Contact your our parents must do.
libraries, —President Barack Obama
neighborhood
churches, sororities
and fraternities, and organizations, such as your local
National Urban League, 100 Black Men, YMCA and YWCA,
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, for such services as computer
access, literacy programs and educational activities.

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The Department of Education’s mission is to promote
student achievement and preparation for global
competitiveness by fostering educational excellence
and ensuring equal access.
www.ed.gov