We all know that parents will show up to see their children perform. Parents will beam with pride at the elementary school play, the middle school band concert, or the high school choral concert. We shouldn’t underestimate, though, the power of the arts as a more strategic approach to long-term parental engagement.

ELLA (Early Literacy Learning through the Arts) program serving Martin Luther King Preschool Center in Richmond Public Schools uses theater, music, and movement to teach early literacy skills for Pre-K students, with an emphasis on vocabulary and reading comprehension. In addition to individual artists, we partner with area arts organizations whose artists work in the program. Our longtime partners have been Virginia Repertory Theatre and Latin Ballet of Virginia.

Since the beginning of the ELLA program, parental engagement has been a purposeful component. It is our belief that a healthy and active relationship between a Pre-K child’s parent and their teacher will lay the foundation for continued parental engagement throughout the course of the child’s academic career.

A 2002 report by the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools (affiliated with Southwest Educational Development Laboratory) affirms the impact of parental involvement in student achievement at all ages. In particular, A New Wave of Evidence cited a 1999 study by Marcon that found “…increased parent involvement and more active types of involvement were related to positive development and greater mastery of skills in all subjects.”

The arts can be a compelling tool for increased, positive parental engagement. Let’s work together to find those opportunities to make our programs and—more importantly—school culture more effective. THAT could be a key step towards meaningful education.

Read the full article about parent engagement in arts education by Janet Starke at Arts Blog.