Leon Howard, III is the co-founder of the Muskegon Multicultural Beach Festival. In addition, he currently serves as a Residence Hall Director and Social Justice Educator at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
Turning the living room into an extension of the classroom is extremely important and is the one of the greatest ways a parent can help their child be successful. This does not necessarily mean or translate to all A's but it does mean ensuring that that they are learning, reflecting on what they learned and applying what they learn. How learning is reinforced in the living room and how we make connections to what a child is learning in school to what is occurring in their home, community, immediate surroundings and the broader world is an important responsibility of parents. There should be reminders and symbols all around the home that reminds a child the importance of education, knowledge, and of their responsibility to self and others. Every opportunity and tool should be used to reinforce what they are learning in the classroom and to take it to the next step if possible, whether it is asking a child to write or reflect on a movie, TV show or video they watched, or by creating homework assignments for your child in addition to what the teacher gives. Especially, when they say they I do not have any homework. They should always have some type of homework which I whether call learning or reflection activities even on the weekend. A child should not go through a day without a parent or an adult in the home asking a child what did you learn or accomplish today. A child should not go through an activity or watch a movie or T.V show without them being asked to reflect on what they saw or asking them what did you learn from the experience. Notice I said parent not teacher. The parent is the most influential teacher a child will have. You do not have to be smart or educated to be a teacher, to help a child in school, to help a child learn or to help them be successful. You just have to know how to care, be involved in what they are learning, ask questions about what they are learning, and create expectations and structure in the home that requires the television to be turned off and the child mind turned on or through using what is watch on TV as a tool to discuss what is being learned in school. Whatever a child is learning or being taught in the classroom they should be ready to discuss it and to teach it to their parents and their siblings in the living room or at the dinning room table. The classroom and living room needs to be connected in order to created a learning environment that breeds success and that challenges and support children, parents, and teachers. This is one of the greatest roles a parent can play in their child life and development.
