Parents and caregivers play an important role in their children’s education. Research suggests that some of the most effective forms of family engagement happen at home—from setting expectations to encouraging children to take ownership of their learning.

Here are four ways parents and caregivers can make a difference in their student’s success.

1. Support Learning at Home

For younger children in particular, parents can reinforce the skills students are developing at school.

Research on reading interventions has found that parents can help improve literacy skills when they are given specific strategies for working with their children. The key isn’t for parents to become teachers, but to understand what their children are learning and find simple ways to reinforce those skills at home.

Ask your child’s teacher for age-appropriate activities, strategies or resources you can use together. Reading regularly, practicing skills through games and connecting classroom lessons to everyday experiences can all make learning part of family life.

2. Help With Homework—Without Taking Over

When it comes to homework, more parent involvement isn’t necessarily better.

Research has produced mixed results on whether helping with homework improves academic achievement. More recent studies suggest that how parents help matters. Support that encourages students to work independently and solve problems can be beneficial, while controlling or intrusive involvement may have the opposite effect.

Instead of providing answers or closely managing assignments, help your child create routines, find a productive place to work and think through challenges. Try questions such as, “What do you think your next step should be?” or “Is there something from class that might help you solve this?”

As children get older, giving them greater responsibility for their work can help build independence and confidence.

3. Set High—but Realistic—Expectations

One of the most consistent findings in family-engagement research is the connection between parents’ academic expectations and student achievement.

Children benefit when parents communicate that education matters, encourage them to do their best and express confidence in their ability to learn. Research spanning decades has found parental expectations and aspirations to be among the forms of family involvement most strongly associated with academic achievement.

That doesn’t mean expecting straight A’s. Focus instead on effort, growth, persistence and developing good learning habits.

Talk regularly about what your child is learning, celebrate progress and remind them that struggling with something is often part of learning it.

4. Talk About Learning—and the Future

As children move into middle and high school, effective parent involvement often shifts from direct assistance to what researchers call academic socialization.

This can include talking about the importance of education, connecting schoolwork to your child’s interests and future goals, discussing learning strategies and helping them think about educational and career opportunities.

You might ask:

• “What was the most interesting thing you learned today?”
• “What class is challenging you most right now?”
• “What would you like to get better at this year?”
• “How could what you’re learning connect to something you’d like to do someday?”

These conversations allow parents to stay involved while giving older students the independence they increasingly need.

Keep the Conversation Going

Stay curious about what your child is learning and keep an open line of communication with teachers. Read school emails and updates, join the PTA, volunteer in the classroom and ask questions when you need more information.

Most importantly, talk with your child—not just about grades and assignments, but about what interests them, what challenges them and what they’re proud of. Find engaging questions to ask them in this article.

Parents don’t have to know every answer or oversee every assignment to support student success. Being interested, encouraging independence and showing that learning matters can make a meaningful difference.