As a parent, I decided to become actively involved in my children’s learning.
My children began Suzuki violin lessons at three or four years old. In the Suzuki approach, parents attend every lesson and supervise practice at home. The child-parent-teacher triangle is central to the approach: teachers provide specialist knowledge, while parents provide continuity between lessons.
One of my children was diagnosed with a receptive and expressive language disorder. Speech therapists helped him, but therapists changed and support was not always consistent. I attended his sessions, spoke with his teachers and continued the work at home.
He needed some ideas taught explicitly that other children appeared to absorb naturally. These included rhymes, opposites, comparisons, humour and jokes. Everyday conversations, games and shared activities gave us opportunities to practise these ideas gradually.
I could not remove every difficulty or control what happened during his education. Being involved did not guarantee an easy path. It did, however, allow me to understand his needs and provide continuing support and advocacy.
Parents Bring Valuable Knowledge
Parents know aspects of their children that may not be visible in a classroom or therapy session. They notice their child’s interests, sensitivities, frustrations, energy levels and preferred ways of approaching something new.
Teachers and therapists bring different expertise. A productive partnership respects all these forms of knowledge.
Parents do not need to be trained teachers or provide formal lessons at home. Much of a young child’s learning happens through ordinary family life.
Parents support learning when they:
- read, sing and tell stories together
- listen to their child’s questions and ideas
- involve children in cooking, gardening and household tasks
- provide opportunities for art, construction, music and imaginative play
- help children practise skills introduced by a teacher or therapist
- share useful observations with the professionals supporting their child
- notice when their child needs more help, more challenge—or simply a rest
Responsive conversations support early language, relationships and learning. Play and everyday routines also give children meaningful opportunities to explore, solve problems and develop independence.
Partnership Without Pressure
Families have different amounts of time, energy, money and support. Some children enjoy lengthy activities; others participate for only a few minutes. Some learn quickly in one area while needing considerable help in another.
Supporting learning means being interested, observant and available when opportunities arise. Sometimes the most helpful response is simply:
“What have you noticed?”
“What do you think?”
“How could we find out?”
A parent’s most valuable role may be to remain a consistent learning partner—someone who knows their child, communicates with professionals and supports the child as they learn and develop.